Let Me Give Your Heart A Break
by DracosDrummerGirl
Summary: Both Alone. Both looking for something the want but don't know. People can change, and some find hope in the most unexpected places. Rated T for swearing.
1. New Beginnings

Hermione walked slowly through the snow banked streets. She was exhausted, but her frustration pushed her feet to move quickly. This was the worst fight with Ron she had ever gotten herself into. _How could anyone ever treat me like this?_ She thought to herself, propelling her anger further. _I can't believe it. I can't believe him! _

Tears began to form from the corners of her eyes, again, when she realized she had arrived to her destination. She knocked on the heavy doors loudly with frozen knuckles. The door opened moments later and Hermione couldn't help but laugh quietly at the black mop of hair that fumbled with his glasses who greeted her.

"'Mione?" He murmured.

"Miss me yet?" She smiled shyly. It had been an unfortunate seven months since she had seen Harry, and pretty much anyone other than Ron and most of the Weasleys. She had ached to see them all, but Ron had broken so much, and circumstances had kept her away. Harry stepped forward and quickly pulled his friend in for a warm and welcoming hug. She relaxed herself into his kind arms, finally letting tears fall. "More than anything." He mumbled into her unbrushed hair. He felt her shoulders rise and fall with each sob and practically carried her into the house, leading her to a comfy new couch in his newly refurbished living room.

Grimmauld Place looked better than it ever had. Harry had moved in immediately after the war with Ginny, Seamus, Luna, Dean, Neville, and a few others and made the Order's old headquarters into a dorm-like home for the friends to stay together after such a separating event. They had split the upstairs bedrooms into boys' and girls' rooms, by the request of Mrs. Weasley, though there were no strict rules to abide by. Anything that remained from the Blacks' residence were belongings of Sirius, by the request of Harry. Hermione and Ron had helped their friend's move in, and from her spot on the couch, she could see the spot on the wall she had covered when Ron had used the wrong color of paint.

Harry sat beside her and adjusted his glasses. "So," He faced his friend with a calm front. "What happened?"

"I can't be treated like I'm below him anymore Harry. I'm done. I called off everything and I was gone." Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "I just don't get it! He treated me so kindly immediately after the war, yet a month later was bossing and commanding me like I'm supposed to take care of him while he does nothing! I'm not his mother! I-"

"Hermione?" Hermione cursed the volume of her anger filled rant as Ginny tip-toed sleepily into the room, her red hair standing, un-Ginny-like, on end. "Hermione is that you?" Their eyes met and the girls ran into each other in an enthusiastic embrace. "It is you! Are you okay? Did Ron hurt you?"

"No, no, no. No physical pain." Hermione laughed sadly. "Just a broken relationship."

"Did you…?"

"Yup." Hermione held up her bare left had. "Threw the ring at him before I left."

Ginny's face fell. "Damn. I was looking forward to a wedding."

"You were just looking forward to dressing up again," Harry yawned from his seat. Ginny rolled her eyes but went over and kissed his forehead quickly before settling herself between the two.

"So no wedding," Ginny sighed. "What happened?"

Hermione shrugged. "You know how we've always fought. We're both so stubborn, your brother especially. And sometimes he just was too lazy, too dependent on me to get most everything done for him, you know?"

"Yeah," the two said quietly, staring at the floor. They sat in silence, staring at anything but each other. Hermione knew the only reason this felt awkward was the extreme distance the couples had for so long, but her soul felt lighter just to sit so close to them.

Ginny stood. "C'mon," she said lightly, pulling Hermione to her feet. "I'll show you the girls' room. It's almost three in the morning and we should probably sleep anyways." The two giggled and looked at Harry, who could barely stay awake where he sat.

"Shut up." He mumbled, but smiled as he rose slowly. He kissed them both on the top of the head, pausing to look Hermione straight on. "It really is wonderful to see you, 'Mione. Stay as long as you want."

"Forever, if you'd like." Ginny added happily.

Hermione grinned, but inside her heart remained broken. It felt so good to be loved and wanted, but something was still missing. Something that she had yet to ever find.

"Draco?"

"Mother."

We stared at each other for a moment, the slight smile in her eyes warming the dank and cold dungeon I'd been stuck in since the war. It was absolute hell being the son of such an arse.

"I've talked to Andromeda. She's said that we may be able to emerge from this terrible place soon."

"How soon?" I couldn't help the bite in my tone, but I did regret it. My mother was all I had left, all I had to care about since my pride was so obviously gone.

She looked down at her finely clasped hands. "Soon enough. Maybe a month or so."

I nodded, stood up and began my daily ritual of pacing the room. Since we were stuck in the disgustingness that was my Aunt's basement, we didn't have much to occupy our minds than books, music and chess.

My Aunt and Uncle visited often with food and little Teddy in tow. I wasn't much of kids person, especially before the war, but I'd developed a special bond with the little guy. As soon as he'd see me, he would mimic his hair to look like mine, giggle and run into my arms. It was strange to feel so fond of something that was so… good, compared to the evil I had grown to represent and cherish.

"Dakie!" Teddy yelled as he ran down the basement stairs. I paused my pacing to lift the kid up, tossing him into the air. He laughed loudly and Mother even hummed a small chuckle. Teddy always made the days easier.

"How we doing down here?" I turned to see my Aunt and Uncle come barreling down the stairs. Mother and Aunt Andromeda had become close after the war and the Tonks' had invited us to hide out at their place while the last of the Death Eaters were taken out. We were just waiting to be forgotten.

"We're well enough," Mother said, standing to place a kiss on each of their cheeks.

"I would love some sunlight and fresh air." I snapped.

Teddy laughed again. "Sun lye un fesh arr!" I couldn' t help but smile down at him and stifled a laugh myself.

My Uncle guffawed, walked over and took Teddy from me. "We know, Kid." He patted my shoulder. I'd grown to hid the wince, as he did so every day. "The time's a-comin'. You'll smell the daisies soon enough. Don't you worry." He smiled and I couldn't help but return a harsher smirk. I admired Ted, especially for letting us stay. He had saved us from being thrown into Askaban and I would be forever grateful for him. Unfortunately.

"It's sooner than you think," Andromeda came over and placed a kiss on my left cheek, the way she always did when she left. "Just sit tight. Enjoy your dinner!"  
_

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading the first chapter! Please R&R and lemme know where you think this should go, or just what your opinion is so far! I love feedback! **

**Oh, and I guess I should probably mention that I obviously do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does, and if you didn't know that... well... educate yourself. **


	2. Getting Out

The sunlight felt so good on my face as I walked along the streets near Harry's place. It had been dark, cold, and snowy for months and I almost could feel the freckles appearing along my nose. But as wonderful as the weather made me feel, every happy couple I passed made me heart sink even lower. Valentine's Day was approaching. I felt so lonely without Ron's body heat reflecting into my side. I missed the thought of him, just not the him.

I was bundled warmly in a freshly knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley, a hat made by Ginny just the night before, and a very homely, but wonderful scarf that Neville had attempted to knit and kindly gave to me as a welcoming gift. It had been three days now and I felt so happy to be with all of my friends. And knowing the Weasley family hadn't fully disowned me was a weight off of my shoulders.

The wind suddenly picked up and I quickened my pace, feeling my nose begin to freeze in the cold. I had been walking for a good twenty minutes now and was far from getting back anytime soon. I put the thought of the warm soup and tea that Luna was talking about preparing, put my head down and pushed on.

That is, until I ran straight into Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?"

I couldn't reply. I was in shock.

She looked worried, but tense, which was understandable due to our history. "Malfoy, are you okay? I can't believe you're alive… Where have you been? Is your mother-"

"Piss off, Granger." I said finally, pushing by her. But then I stopped. Just. Stopped.

"Fine. See you haven't changed much, you arse." I flipped around to see her turn on her heels and force herself into the wind.

"She's alive. We've been with the Tonks'."

I don't have any idea why I had told her. Something about the way she had looked at me, it's like she cared. Maybe it was because she was the first familiar face I'd seen on my first venture from my Aunt and Uncle's basement. She faced me again, her expression just as confused as my own. "Well," she started. "That's good." Her face softened a bit.

"I can't believe I'm alive either, Granger. But I am. Sorry to disappoint." I hissed.

Granger scowled. "I never said I was disappointed, Malfoy. Just shocked." She stepped forward a bit. "Everyone thought you had been killed."

I winced. "Unfortunately, that was the point. For everyone to forget my existence as much as they could," I stepped towards her with a smirk. "Though I'm a very hard person to forget, right Granger?"

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. And I couldn't help but look fully at her. Granger had lost a bit of her baby fat and grown to be a surprisingly attractive witch. Her hair had calmed slightly, and her cheeks were pink from the cold, though her freckles popped out clearly from beneath. I noticed she was dressed like a very unfortunate family. "Speaking of things stuck in our memories, where's your precious Weezelbee?"

And there it was. Her face fell and she looked like I had punched her in the gut. "Umm-" She muttered. "I'm not entirely sure. Probably at his job."

"Are you two no longer an item?" I couldn't explain my sudden interest in the ginger prat and the bushy freak, but the look on her face was definitely not helping.

She shook her head and I swore I saw a tear glisten down her cheek. I felt like I should have hugged her, but held back, reminding myself who she was. I nodded slightly. "Well. Best for you anyways. Always thought even you could have done better."

A laugh shuddered through her body and she looked up into my eyes. "That is possibly the nicest thing you have every said to me, Malfoy." She said, wiping her eyes.

"That's what being stuck in a basement for months with only a child to keep you entertained will do to a man." I sighed. She looked confused and I suppressed a smile. "Teddy Tonks, Lupin's kid. He's lived with my Aunt since the war, as have I." A grin crept across my mouth as I thought of the tyke. "I've grown to enjoy his presence."

I looked up to see Granger smiling. At me.

"Who would have known? Malfoy likes kids," She chuckled and started to walk away.

"Hey!" I chased her. "Only this one!"

She looked over her shoulder at me. "Don't lie! How could you not love any other child after becoming so fond with one?"

We both stopped and snow began to fall again. Our bodies were close. Too close. "You tell anyone, Granger, and I swear to Merlin I will-"

Her eyes rolled again and she smiled. "I won't tell. No one would believe me anyways. Have a good evening, Malfoy." And with that she walked away.

I felt myself wanting to follow her, to continue our conversation and to continue making her laugh, but I held back and walked home slowly, enjoying the feeling of sunlight and snow on my face.


	3. Back at Home

**_A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been awhile! This is a short chapter, sorry, but please r&r! :) THANKS!_**

The smell of cinnamon hit me like a welcomed wall. I walked through the doorway at Grimmauld place and felt my fingers and nose immediately begin to thaw out. I hung my hat, scarf, and sweater on the nearby coat rack and trotted into the kitchen to be greeted by many smiling faces.

"How was your walk, Hermione?" Luna's voice twinkled.

I grinned. "Surprisingly lovely. Thank you Luna." A quaint smile crossed her face before she returned to teaching Neville how to crochet.

"You look abnormally smiley, 'Mione." Fred quipped.

"Seen someone on your walk?" George smirked.

"Better not've been our twit of a brother." Fred added.

My smile widened as I shook my head. "No. I just enjoyed myself."

"The weather is quite lovely," Ginny stood by the stove, Harry sitting nearby watching her intently. I could see his love for her so clearly in his expression, and couldn't help but feel that empty spot inside of me grow a bit. I was so happy for my friends, but my heart was just so selfish.

"I'm going to go upstairs and read a bit," I said, backing towards the doorway. "I'll need to have a good head on my shoulders when I return to the Ministry on Monday."

Harry took his gaze from Ginny to throw me a kind smile. "Sounds like our 'Mione's back."

I ran home. I couldn't stay out in the cold any longer with Granger's stupid grin stuck in my memory. The door slammed behind me as I rushed through the kitchen, passing my Aunt and Uncle in a huff.

"Draco-" My Aunt started.

"No."

My Uncle chuckled. "Didn't think so."

My mother waltzed out from behind the corner with little Teddy in tow. "You're home early."

I stopped and only nodded, taking Teddy from her arms and heading to the garden out back. The kid giggled, his hair lightening and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. It was so strange to think that this tyke was Nymphadora's kid, my least favorite cousin, but my absolute favorite child. I set him down on the ground, where he quickly set out on finding worms in the radishes. My mind went back to my walk. My first walk out and I run into an old nemesis, and almost enjoyed it.

Captivity sure had done shit to my head.


	4. A Snowy Encounter

**A/N: Hello readers! Sorry I took so long to update, but I've been enjoying some much needed rest and vacationing. More chapters shortly! Please review!**

The smell of fresh parchment forced my eyes open to find I'd fallen asleep while studying the night before. I pushed all of my supplies off of me and forced myself to glance at the clock. 5 a.m. Great. I pulled the covers over my head, but it was no use. I was fully awake and nothing was going to change except for a full day of work. And as much as I loved my job, I was not looking forward to returning. I stood up, stretching every muscle in my body at once and began to prepare for the day ahead of me. As soon as I finished, I glanced once more at the clock.

5:37. Damn it.

I decided maybe a walk and a portkey trip would kill the time, instead of the instantaneous floo-ing to work. The snow on the ground was fresh like it was every morning. I felt like a child with all the excitement I had to walk into it and ruin its soft appearance. I couldn't wait any longer as I threw my boot covered feet into the snow, smiling up to the sky and sticking my tongue out to catch every nearby falling snowflake. It was magical.

"Having fun, Granger?"

His voice pierced into me like an icicle. I froze where I was. "How did you find me?"

"Wasn't hard," I heard him mumble. He sauntered into my view, his cocky demeanor glowing from every inch of his body. "It's not like I was looking. I was simply on a walk when I realized I was walking the same direction you left in. I continued on to catch you here, acting like a child." His smirk made my blood boil and I suddenly felt every terrible emotion he had ever caused to burn through me.

"Prancing around in the snow, Granger? How old are you, really? That is child's play. You're acting like a bloody first year-"

BAM!

The shock of the frozen snow smacking his face caused Malfoy to stop his banter. He wiped the remainder of it from his face, his features already pink from the cold. He looked at me, his expression a cross between confusion and a glare. I couldn't help but laugh aloud and had to lean against a nearby mailbox to keep myself from falling.

Malfoy's face lightened, but only a bit. "You think this is funny?"

I nodded, laughing harder. "Have a wonderful day, Malfoy." And with that I turned, plowing through the snow to the nearby portkey that was to take me to the Ministry.

BAM-BAM!

The back of my head and my arse were suddenly covered in snow. I flipped around abruptly to catch Malfoy's chuckles, before he attempted to stifle them with a mitten-clad hand. "Very funny, Malfoy." I smirked.

"Glad you thought so!" His other hand came around from behind his back, revealing another snowball that he promptly threw at me. I dodged it easily.

"Your aim is quite unimpressive."

He shrugged. "I'm a bit rusty."

"Just a little." I smiled. It was strange. I hadn't laughed and enjoyed another person's company like this in so long. The relief I felt forced another burst of laughter, which he reluctantly returned.

"What are you doing out here, Malfoy?" I asked seriously. He had no business in this part of London. Frankly, he had no business being here at all, especially so near to Harry's home. If Harry was awake to know…

His smile faded a bit. "Living with my Aunt, remember? Andromeda and Ted moved a couple of blocks north of here." He shrugged again. "The world's new again. I feel I must take advantage of this freedom while I still have it."

I looked at him. He had changed so much since the war. His features were still pointed, but his cheeks had more color to them and were slightly filled out. His bright white hair was combed sharply to the side in a handsome fashion and he dressed a little more casually than I had ever seen before, but still in his black with his old house colors, green and silver, accenting. And his eyes. His eyes didn't glow in hatred as much as they used to either. I couldn't put my finger on what they were exactly expressing at the moment, but they were most pleasant to look into.

I sighed. "Well, welcome back to real life."

He smiled at the ground. "I appreciate that. For some reason," He looked back up at me, and felt something inside me change. As we parted ways, me heading for the portkey, I couldn't help but want to see the Slytherin boy again.

I watched her walk away and couldn't help but smile slightly at how she waddled her way through the snow. Her backside was still snow-clad, and I resisted the urge to throw another snowball at the same target.

What the hell is wrong with me, I thought suddenly. This is GRANGER's arse you're staring at! Muggle-born Granger. I knew now that I was capable of caring for those associated with muggles, like my uncle, but this was different. I had hated Granger with almost all of my being while at Hogwarts, watching her strut around with Potter and the Weasel. She was annoying, crazy haired, muggle-born, know-it-all, Granger…

… Who had kindly welcomed me back to reality, despite our history. Who had just instigated a snowball fight. Who had just smiled so brightly that I had had a loss for words.

I was using positive adjectives to describe Granger.

Well. Shit.


	5. Visitors and Stalkers

**A/N: Alright, here's the new chapter. RnR!**

"Miss Granger? You have a visitor."

I covered my face with my hands and sighed. It was my first day back and not only was my desk overflowing with paperwork, but I had already received visits from both of the Weasley parents, each wondering how I was doing and bringing me a multitude of sweets I would undoubtedly not eat and instead share with everyone at Grimmauld."Who else feels the need to interrupt me, Miss Spinnet?" I said without looking up.

"Thanks Alicia. Hey, 'Mione."

Not him.

I slowly lifted my head and felt my heart sank. "Ronald."

I followed her.

I felt so pathetic, following the very person I once so despised, but something about her was so captivating. I found myself worrying if she would make it to… wherever she was going. Death Eaters, or rather those who were too stupid to not know Voldemort was dead and long gone, were still at large according to Aunt Andromeda, and Granger was likely to be a huge moving target for any of them after being linked to Potter.

I followed slowly, making sure Granger never caught sight of me. She walked three blocks west, two blocks north, then one more block west. She stopped and looked around her carefully, as if she knew someone might have followed. I ducked down in time behind a large rhododendron bush and watched her bend down to pick up what looked to be an old boot. Then she was gone.

Damn it. Portkey. I should have known. I stood from my hiding spot and walked over to where Grnager had just stood to find what must have been the old boot's match. A smirk crawled across my face as I picked it up.

Biggest mistake I could have made.

I recognized the ministry immediately. Pulling my scarf over my mouth, I noticed the bushy hair and followed it, careful not to bring attention to myself. We pushed through the thick crowd of wizards, all dressed warmly for the unfortunate cold weather that crossed the country. I identified many of them as old Hogwarts students and saw Granger greet some. "Good Morning Luna!" "Angelina! When are you due? Tell George hello for me!" "Good to see you too, Cho!" "I have those papers for you in my office, Zacharias. You are welcome to fetch for them at any moment."

We reached her office finally and she walked inside. I sighed heavily, thankful that we had both made it without causing too much attention, but my sigh came too quickly. I turned around… and ran straight in to that Weasley prat.

He stepped back slightly. "Sorry 'bout that, Mate," He grinned, but the look fell off his face as soon as it appeared. "The fuck you doin' here, Malfoy!?"

I smirked at the redness of his face. It matched his god awful hair. "Doesn't seem to be any of your business, does it Weezelbee?"

"When you're standing outside of my office, I believe it does."

I glanced over my shoulder at the large sign on the wall behind me. There was a large arrow with the word "Auror's office" pointing to a nearby door. I shrugged. "Doesn't mean I'm here for you."

His fists clenched. "Don't make me call-"

"Keep your shirt on, Weasley." I pushed past him. "I was just leaving."

But he reached out and grabbed my arm. I flinched at his grasp, which was surprisingly rough. Though Weasley had gotten not-so-impressively large with his apparent Auror training. "Oh no you don't," He growled. "Why are you hear?"

I looked at him straight on, keeping a calm front, but my anger was brewing over inside. "None of your business."

"Snooping?"

My eyes rolled automatically, pausing to make sure Granger's door was closed. Merlin forbid, she heard this awful exchange between myself and her newly made ex.

But I wasn't quick enough. The ginger picked me up by the collar of my jacket. "If you hurt Hermione-"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, Weezelbee, but if you would kindly release my jacket, it costs more than your family's total earnings." His glare intensed, but he let go finally and I smoothed out the wrinkles and started to the exit.

"Hey Weasel! Watch yourself," He yelled after me. "You're a wanted man, and next time I see you, your ass is mine!"

"Sorry, but I don't swing that way." I yelled back at him, making my grand exit.


	6. Reasons to Cry And Reasons to Try

**A/N: Get ready for some intense shizz in this chapter. Please Read and Review!**

"Jesus, Hermione, just listen to me!"

Tears clouded my vision, but I could see his face redden with anger as he spoke. "No! I am done with your excuses, Ronald! Just go away!"

I backed away from him and wiped as many tears as I could away. He grabbed my shoulders. "You have to listen to me!" I shoved him off, but he followed me across the room. He grabbed me again and I slapped him across the face, my frustration winning the best of me. "Bloody hell, was that for?"

"For cheating on me!" I screamed suddenly.

The room went silent except for our harsh breathing. He stared at me, an emotion of half fear and half sadness filling the redness of his face. "What are you-"

"Don't you dare play dumb with me, Ron." I whispered. My throat was dry and I was on the verge of a break down, causing my voice to crack. Badly. "You were engaged to the brightest fucking witch of our age, remember?" I layered the sentence with layers of harsh ice meant to cut through him as deeply as his lies had done to me. Tears fell incessantly down my face and I noticed his eyes grew wet with every second that passed. His fists were no longer clenched at his side and the tension in his body seemed to release. I knew I had finally broke him, and my pain and anger only helped my posture remain strong.

Ron slumped into the nearby chair and covered his face with his hands. He said something, but his words were muffled. "What's your excuse this time?" I hissed.

"I said, I never meant for you to find out."

"Well that's what cheating is, isn't it?" He sighed, still avoiding my glare, which was my way of shooting lasers to finish off his partially broken soul.

"Hermione, I was planning on telling you."

I crossed my arms over my chest, only able to stare at him in disbelief. "Why in the bloody hell would you do this to me?"

"I don't fucking know, Hermione!" he stood slowly, finally taking the chance to look me in the eye. "I had fallen out of love and then back into it, just not with you."

I nodded. "And how were you planning on telling me?"

"I was trying to figure that out."

"And, the whole, sneaking-behind-my-back-with-Katie-thing-"

He flinched and the redness deepened. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt you-"

"But you did. It's time for you to leave, Ronald." I pointed to the door. "Now." My voice was steady, but I was completely broken. He had ruined my heart and my mind, had made me feel like I was not good enough for him. I watched him as he prepared to see another woman, his real love, and just pretend like everything was alright while using me to make his life easier. And I was done. He couldn't use me any longer. Never again.

Ron turned and began towards the door, but flipped back around in the doorway. "Just, be careful who you associate yourself with." He whispered hatefully. "Malfoy was sneaking around here this morning. Don't hang around with that lot. That git belongs in Askaban." And with that, he slammed the door in my dumbstruck face. Malfoy had been at the Ministry?

I stomped my boots off on his front porch before shoving the door open. The house was small and dark, looking as abandoned as it had looked a year and a half ago, when I had visited last before going into hiding. There were little bits of belongings here and there, proof that people did in fact occupy the house at some point in its life, but other than that, it was empty.

Something pulled me in, tempted me up the stairs. He was here, I just had to find him. I followed the feeling up and to the door at my left, which was cracked open. "Blaise?"

"Draco!" He yelled, wrapping me in a hug that I would only allow to come from my best mate. "I miss you, Bro."

I chuckled. "Don't get all weepy on me, now." I pulled back and stared at my friend, straight in the face. He had gotten taller and his build had gotten smaller. I suspected malnourishment, but only because his mother was in Askaban and he had no father. He had been on his own for almost two years and knowing his appetite and his love for exercise, the git had probably been sitting on is ass and eating less than nothing the whole time.

"How was hiding? When did the muggle lovers let you leave?" He ushered for me to join him at an old coffee table that stood in what used to be the family's sitting room. I sat in a large chair that surprised me with its comfort.

"It wasn't complete hell, but it sure is nice to see the daylight again," I started. He handed me a freshly made cup of tea and I thanked him. "Andromeda and Ted aren't too terrible either. Unfortunately for me to say, you would be quite as fond as I am of my uncle."

Blaise scoffed. "A muggle lover?"

I nodded. "And the cousin. Great kid. Has my hair."

"He's an metaphormangus. He can look like whoever the hell he wants to look like."

I scowled at him. "Don't ruin this for me. It's the first kid I've ever liked."

"It's the only kid you'll ever like!" My dirty look intensified. "Oh, c'mon, you know I'm right. You never wanted kids for yourself. You made that clear all through school."

I rubbed my nose in frustration. "I don't know, Mate. This kid… I mean, Teddy is awesome." My eyes found his and I laughed at my own thoughts. "I might actually want to have 'em.

Blaise stared at me, his expression unreadable, before finally breaking into a hearty laugh. "Somebody's been changing their mind this last year?"

It was all I could do not to grin. "You have no idea."

**A/N: Don't forget to R&R! **


	7. Talks and Unwanted Visits

**A/N: If you've been waiting for some action, here it is. Also, I must mention I do not own ANYTHING Harry Potter related. I get a lot of my facts from the books and Harry Potter Wiki. Thank you to all of you followers who have reviewed and continued to follow me, as it gives me more of an incentive to write! Please Read continue and Review!**

I returned to Grimmauld with tears streaming down my face. Today had been stressful, and strengthening all the same. Confronting Ron, the boy I had been in love with most of my life, about breaking my heart was one of the hardest things I had ever done. It could have gone smoother. But my emotions had taken over.

My mind was even more twisted around the fact that Malfoy had most likely followed me into the Ministry. I had no idea why he would have set foot even near it, and quite frankly I needed to know.

"Hermione? Is that you?" Harry called.

"Yes, Harry."

"Can we talk? I'm in the kitchen."

My brows furrowed as I crossed the threshold of the kitchen, tossing my bag and jacket onto the table. "What's this about, Harry?" He stood in the middle of the room. His eyes were darkly circled and his hair messier than normal, and a cup of coffee rested in his right hand. He looked exhausted.

"Ron paid me a visit today," He sighed, sadness filling his face. He ran a hand through his hair stressfully. "I had no idea he would do that-"

I held up my hand and he stopped. I forced a slight smile. "It's okay. I'm fine." His eyebrows shot up as if he didn't believe me. I rolled my eyes. "I promise. Knowing the truth and getting it confirmed helped. I feel better than I have in a long while. I don't know what Ronald said to you, but I hope you two can be friends again. I hate that you stopped talking to one another."

Harry nodded, the doubt leaving his tired face. "He came in and apologized for everything. He asked for forgiveness and I forgave him. I just wanted to know if you were alright..."

"And as you can see, Harry, I am perfectly okay," I winced at my tone, noting how angry I had just sounded. I took a deep breath to calm myself. "So he told you what happened?" He nodded again.

"Also mentioned that I should probably watch you a little closer. Said something about Malfoy watching your office," Harry looked at me like my father used to when I would do something I wasn't supposed to. "Do you know anything about that, 'Mione?"

I couldn't believe Harry was treating me like a child. Watching me, making sure I wasn't getting myself into what he assumed was to be trouble. Anger bubbled inside of me, but I hid it, not wanting any more drama today. "No, Harry, I know nothing."

He looked at me incredulously. "Alright. I trust you." He hugged me close. "Just be careful, 'Mione. It's Malfoy." He whispered into my hair. "He's always hated us. People don't change." He kissed the top of my head and walked into the living room, where I heard Ginny greet him loudly and enthusiastically.

A piece of my soul began to break. I was now lying to my best friend, FOR MALFOY. I threw myself up the stairs and buried myself into my work, which I was already caught up with, but extra studying always helped. I needed to do anything to get my mind away from thinking about the snowballs and his smile.

* * *

"BLOODY HELL!"

"Well this is just rich-"

"DRACO, WATCH OUT!"

I ducked from the blade of green that was aimed for my head and heard the window behind me shatter. Everything had turned to chaos when, only ten minutes after my arrival at Blaise's home, three wizards dressed as death eaters decided to pay us a visit.

I recognized my dear uncle Rodolphus immediately, wearing his particularly disturbingly designed mask and aiming each and every one of his curses at me. Blaise had taken down one, whom I never recalled seeing before, and was currently working on hexing our friend Theo Nott's father. I noticed a gash on Zambini's cheek and arm, when another curse was flung at my face.

"Learn to aim, you fat old prat!" I yelled across the room to my uncle, a smirk slowly crossing my face. Rodolphus hated the acknowledgement of his unfortunate weight gain since the Dark Lord first returned.

"Watch your damn mouth, Boy!" Rodolphus slashed his wand threw the air and a purple curse flew at me.

I darted behind what I assumed was Blaise's wardrobe. "Petrificus Totalus!" Something thudded and I ran out in time to see that my aim had been perfect. Throwing the spell at a nearby three-sided mirror, I had managed to double the spell to hit both Rodolphus and Nott. The grown men lay frozen on the ground, their faces contorted with hatred for the two of us.

Blaise looked at me and I nodded. We packed a few of Blaise's things, kicked the three Death Eater's a couple of times in a couple of places for good measure, and hopped on two brooms we found in a closet, heading to the only place I knew I could get help.


	8. Worries and Patronus'

**A/N: Yay for long chapters! Enjoy**

A flash of green light suddenly filled the room. My immediate instinct pushed me to roll off the bed. I stood tall; my wand out at the ready in the direction the light had come from. I silently muttered a shielding charm around myself. The room was still.

I glanced slowly around the room, when a purple curse came out of nowhere, flying straight toward my head. I ducked in time and threw a disarming spell its way. It was silent again.

I cast my Patronus. "Possible danger. Come quickly and quietly. Watch out." I watched as my otter crawled across the room and through the door to my friends. A quiet minute later, a stag, horse, fox, swan, beagle, and hare soundlessly made their way in, each nodding at me and speedily bounding around the room. I gasped at the brightness that surrounded the room, the Patronus' reflecting each other's beautiful, pale blue light.

My door creaked open and I pointed my want at the entering figure. I met Harry's eyes. His wand was out and Ginny stood close behind him.

"What did you tell me in the woods while Ron was gone?" He whispered.

"That I thought I was in love with Ron and that I was more afraid of his not returning than of being captured by You-know-who." I muttered loud enough for him to hear me. A tear fell down my cheek and he walked slowly up to me and pulled me into a hard hug. Ginny rubbed my shoulder, staying alert for whatever it was that had just tried to attack me.

Neville and Seamus then entered, their hair standing on end. Neville smiled at me and he and Harry ran over to help Ginny and Luna set charms around my three small windows. Seamus rubbed his eyes sleepily. "You alright, 'Mione?" He yawned. I put on a weak smile and nodded, looking wearily around the room. All of my friends were there, searching so intently. After about ten minutes of intense shielding and searching, they gave up and many returned to bed.

I walked over to where Cho and Hannah Abbot stood. Both of them were living in the room next door and looked so afraid and out of place in my room.

"Oh, Hermione! I'm so glad you're okay!" Hannah sobbed, throwing her arms around me. I patted her back as she cried, attempting to assure her I was fine and everything would be okay, though I wasn't sure I could believe myself. Cho looked at me over Hannah's shoulder, smiling sadly.

"Did you see the flash of light?" I asked as soon as Hannah let go of me. They both shook their heads.

"We didn't see or hear anything," Cho said. "We were fast asleep."

I shook my head. "There was no noise, but the spells were so bright. It woke me up." I rubbed my temples. "I've never seen such an intense coloration before. I have no idea who it could have been."

Ginny ran up behind me. "I sent a Patronus to my parents and the twins. They're on their way to cast a couple of stronger wards around the place." I thanked her and we followed the rest of them out the door to the living room. Seamus, Dean, and Harry sat on one couch, while Neville and Hannah cuddled together on the nearby loveseat everyone looked toward the fireplace, where I joined Ginny and Cho to lean against the warmed brick. I noticed the sparkle of recent spell work and realized someone must have closed the Floo Network into Grimmauld. I made a mental note to thank whoever did so. Luna came in soundlessly, levitating multiple cups of hot chocolate and sending one to each of us and receiving a chorus of "Thank You"s as she sat between Seamus and Dean. I took my cup and smiled at the whipped cream, shaped to be a perfect otter.

There was a loud knock on the front door and all of us froze to stare at it. Harry stood and ran to the door. "Who is it?" He demanded.

Arthur's voice rang through the thick door. "Ut enim ad Phoenicis,"

"Iterum occurrunt!" Molly Weasley finished the old safety passcode. "Harry, please let us in!"

Harry just barely opened the door before Molly pushed herself through and ran to me. "You poor dear!" She cried. "Are you alright? Didn't get hit did you? We will find who did this to you, Hermione dear, I promise you. We won't sleep-"

"We already haven't slept, Mum." Fred mumbled sleepily.

George yawned. "Yeah, I'm beat."

"You complain once more and you WILL be beat!" Molly yelled. The twins apologized, throwing tired grins my way and collapsed onto one another where Harry had just sat. The twins now lived separately, George with Angelina and Fred above the joke shop, but acted just as inseparable, as if they hadn't been apart once since the war.

I looked back to the door way and my heart sank a bit. There stood Ron, staring at me with such worry and exhaustion in his eyes. I stood slowly. Everyone stopped to watch us.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He said, shoving his hands deeper and deeper into his fleece jacket. A slight smile crept onto my mouth, but the tears remained. Only a few hours ago we had been in a yelling match and I had made it clear how upset I had been with him. But he had come, worried about my well-being despite all of that. I walked over to him and he wrapped me in a fierce hug. "Scared the bloody hell out of me."

"Thank you for coming, Ronald." I whispered.

We separated and I returned to sit next to Ginny. He went to where Harry stood near the entryway. The two shook hands at first, then Harry patted him on the back and hugged him. "Good to see you, Mate." He chuckled.

"Wish they were better circumstances," Ron grinned.

After finishing our greetings, I explained all I had experienced to everyone. We sat there, making no noise in the glow of the firelight, trying to figure out how to move on.

"I haven't heard of spells with so intensely described coloring before," Arther said, his face clouded in thought.

"There haven't been any instances of attacks in seven months." Harry said in a business like manor. "And we caught the perpetrators of the last three attacks." Ron nodded, looking an awful lot like his father at that moment.

Just then, a Patronus in the form of a Koala appeared and crawled to the middle of the room.

"We've had an attack on a member of our household. Keep your guards up. All is well, but we fear the worst we have imagined is on the brink of appearing." It turned to look at me. "Hermione, be careful. There is one here who fears your safety is most on the line." And with that, the Patronus disappeared.

Molly stood. "Andromeda," She gasped. "How could she know to fear for Hermione?"

My head was spinning. There had been an attack to a member of the TONK'S household. I instantly thought of the morning before, with Malfoy. Had he been attacked? I stayed calm knowing that Andromeda had assured that all was well there, but uneasiness flowed through every vein in my being.

* * *

I sat on the stairway in apprehension. My hands tangled themselves into my hair as I listened to my mother talk to Ted. Aunt Andromeda was conversing nervously with what looked to be a soft white Weasel in the back garden. I growled at the unwelcome reminder of fourth year's incident with Mad Eye Moody.

"Have you recently applied some wards to the home?" My mother's voice was soft, but having been raised to listen to it, I could easily understand each word.

Ted coughed. "Yes, the day before we deemed you guys safe." "Arthur Weasley may be on his way to make them stronger." I winced. The image of a Weasley was infuriating entering the house, remembering how their prat of a son had treated Granger. I shook my head trying to get her grin from the day before out of my head.

I heard my aunt rush into the house. "There's been another attack!"

"On who?" Ted's voice was full of worry.

"Hermione Granger." My heart began to race. No. "The D.A. and the Weasley's have been warding the old order house and keeping the girl safe. Poor girl."

I ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Get. Granger. Safe." I snarled.

My mother's eyes went wide. "Draco-?"

"I said get her safe! Nott and Lestrange attacked me, and if my attack had anything to do with hers, then she needs to be in the safest place possible." I sighed. "She's not pure-blooded and she's one of Potter's two best friends. Not only that, but she's recently split from the Weasel and is vulnerable as hell."

"How do you know all this, Draco?" Ted asked quietly. "Why so much interest?"

My fists and teeth were clenched. I had never felt so livid in my life. "I saw Granger the other day on my walk. I don't care, I just don't want any more unnecessary deaths." My eyes found my mother's and I silently pleaded her to understand. She pursed her lips and looked down at her neatly folded hands.

"Andromeda, please send word to them to watch for Miss Granger's safety and inform them of our own news of attack." She said softly, her tone smooth and pure. I looked to my Aunt. She stared at me, her mouth opened slightly. She looked to Ted, who nodded slightly.

"Okay. Expecto Patronum!"

**A/N: The passcode is Latin for "For the Order of the Phoenix, we meet again". I figured they needed a way to recognize other members of the Order, so why not a cool sounding, barely pronounceable, Latin passcode?**


	9. A Plan and A Letter

**A/N: I've been having silly little writing streaks, so I'll most likely be updating often. I'm glad some of you are enjoying this so far! Please R&R!**

"Molly, I sent a Patronus to the other Order members as soon as Ginny sent hers to us. I told her Hermione had been attacked and to stand on guard." Arthur shrugged. "That's how she knew."

"But why would Hermione's safety be more desperate than the rest of us?" Ginny asked, glancing over at Harry, who smiled grimly.

"I know." Everyone stared at Luna. Her hands were folded in her lap, but her eyes seemed to be focused entirely on the dizzying pattern of her pajama pants. "It's because she's a muggle born. And one of the 'Golden Trio'. Why wouldn't she be one of their biggest targets?"

Dean nodded. "Those scum bags are bound to be after these three still, seeing as they still think the Dark Lord will come back." Dean was training in the Investigation Division of the Auror office, and had taken part in many of the captures of former Death Eaters, alongside Harry and Ron.

"Well, what can we do to keep this from happening again?" Seamus looked at Harry. Harry sighed loudly, rubbing his hands through his mop of hair.

"We should probably have shifts of watching the house. Those of us who don't leave for work," He looked pointedly at Cho, who was taking classes at a nearby muggle university, and Luna, who worked from Grimmauld place as a Magizooligist. "Can take the day shifts, and the rest of us can take our shifts during the day. Dean, Neville, Seamus, Ron and I can start work on investigating what's going on. And don't go anywhere alone."

The was a light murmur of agreement in the room when a loud snore came from the Loveseat. Hannah was curled into the crook of Neville's arm, asleep, as he snored loudly. The air in the room lightened at the laughter that followed. "Looks like we should start our rounds," George and Fred quipped. "Not it!"

"I'll do first shift." Ginny stood.

Harry nodded. "I'll join you." She smiled.

"Well, now that everything is settled, shall we Molly?" Arthur stood and held out his hand for his wife, who politely took it.

"Yes, I do think we shall. Ronald, Fred, George, you all should head to your respective homes as well." The three boys nodded, each pausing at the door to say goodbye to everyone. Ron looked at me, smiling sadly. I waved and mouthed "Thank you".

"Hermione?"

Most everyone had already headed upstairs to their rooms, but I turned to the voice to see Seamus and Dean standing over me. "Yes?"

"Do you want us to stay in your room tonight?" Dean said.

"Yeah! Be there just in case, you know? For back up just in case they come back." Seamus grinned. "I'd love to kick some more Death Eater arse." He pretended to punch the air in front of him.

I laughed and rolled my eyes at Seamus' humor. "Thank you, boys, really. But I don't think that is completely necessary."

Harry shrugged. "I think it's a great idea. We'll put a barrier up…" Ginny elbowed him in the ribs and he looked at me. I just barely shook my head, my eyes telling him to shut his mouth. I needed him to let me fight my own battles. "How about you guys sleep in the hallway outside her room? Then she can still have her privacy."

The two nodded enthusiastically and ran up the stairs to set up their beds. I said my goodnights, pausing to nudge Hannah and Neville awake, and headed to my room for some much needed rest, but my mind refused to stop whirling. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that it HAD to have been Malfoy that had known. Something in my mind was pushing me to believe it had been him.

I got out of bed and walked to my desk, shoving all the books into a neat pile on the side and retrieving fresh parchment and quill. I wrote down my thoughts, tied it to Screech, Seamus' new owl, and told her where to go, watching her fly into the night.

* * *

"Mate. Hey, Mate. Malfoy!"

I rolled over, waking for the third time in the past hour. "What is so important, Zabini?"

He stood above me, blocking the moonlight with his massive head. I couldn't make out his expression, but he seemed agitated. "Something's knocking on the window. No one knows I'm here, so the bird's has to be for you."

"Damn it," I said, slowly standing. I opened the window and a small black and brown owl perched itself on my headboard. "Don't get too comfortable, Ugly." I muttered to it as I untied the letter on its leg and it let out a loud scream. I rolled my eyes, but looked at what was in my hand. The writing on the envelope was a lovely sort of chicken scratch that spelled my name out.

"Definitely not mine," Blaise said, walking from his position of looking over my shoulder to his make shift bed in the corner of what was now my room. "Night, Mate."

I mumbled a reply, but was focused completely on the letter.

_Malfoy- _

_ I know you were the one that got attacked too. I hope you are okay. The attack on me wasn't too terrible. They had terrible aim. Please be careful. _

_ Sincerely, _

_Hermione Granger. _

Granger had wrote to me. She had sent me a letter, with HOPE that I, her sworn enemy from school, was okay. I shook my head, pinched my arm, did everything I could to make sure that this letter in fact was real. I felt an odd flutter in my stomach when I realized that it indeed existed.

Then it hit me. Should I write back? Yes. I was sure she would expect a reply. But this was Granger, Potty and Weasel's old best friend. And I was Draco Malfoy. I couldn't write back. I looked at my desk in the corner, at the cup of readied quills and available parchment and sighed. I had to reply. I walked over and began to write.

"Who's it from, Malfoy?" Blaise mumbled sleepily.

My hand didn't stop and I didn't look up. "None of your business." He huffed, but rolled over and began to snore immediately. I finished the letter and tied it to the owl's leg, who was still perched on my bed half asleep. I threw it out the window and crawled into bed, wondering if I would hear from her again.


	10. Looking for Comfort

**A/N: So this is sort of a mini chapter, but I promise it'll be exciting. Enjoy!**

"HERMIONE!?"

My eyes shot open and sat up so quickly that the world blacked out for a moment. I threw my arm out, wand at the ready… pointed straight at a frightened Ginny Weasley. "Ginny! What's wrong!?"

A tear slipped down her cheek. Her shoulders started to shudder and her bottom lip began to quiver. "Ron's gone…"

As she began to break down, I felt myself start to lose it. My jaw dropped. My vision blurred. My heart raced. My throat went dry. My mind went blank. All of my energy was frozen to the fact that my best friend growing up, a man I had once planned on marrying, was gone. I wanted to speak, but the lump in my throat killed any noise I attempted and instead forced me to choke up a sob. It felt as though no loss that I had endured in my life had prepared me for this heartache.

I looked up and noticed Harry standing near the door, his hands shoved in his pockets. Redness and exhaustion rimmed his eyes. I pushed myself off the bed and ran at him, collapsing into a complete mess of tears and fright as I sobbed into his shoulder as he hugged me close. He whispered quietly to me, trying make things better. "We'll find him." "Don't worry." "The Order is looking for clues right now."

"Harry, where was he?" I pulled back and looked at him. "Where was he before he disappeared?"

Harry looked down and rubbed his nose. "He was at home. Molly and Arthur had just left."

"As soon as they got to the Burrow, their got calls that someone had broken through the wards at Ron's," Ginny stood, her words shaking like the rest of her. "As soon as they got there he was gone."

My eyes shut and I ran my fingers through my hair. "Why!?" I screamed. "Why now?"

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other sadly and pulled me into a group hug. I felt myself go completely numb. We stood there, hugging and sobbing for what seemed like forever, but at the same time, it wasn't long enough. The two let go of me and ushered me to the bed. They closed the door gently as I sank into the deep abyss of what was either misery or confusion, or a little of both.

I couldn't do anything but stare at the wall in front of me, picturing scenarios of how it could have happened. He could have just walked through the door. He could have been on his way to the kitchen for a glass of butterbeer and a slice of pie, his favorites when he was upset. He may have been sitting on the couch, blinking himself to sleep like he did every night. Memories flooded my head and I shoved the heels of my hands into my eyes. Although I didn't love him like I used, Ronald had always been one of my best friends, and, like Harry, I now thought of and loved him like family. He was important to me.

My window popped open and Screacher glided toward me, a large letter tied to his ankle. My heart sank, noticing that it looked to be the same size and color that I had sent to Malfoy. But upon closer inspection, I realized that it was my last name, not his, that was scrawled along the front. I wiped the tears away, momentarily letting the news be abandoned, and opened the letter.

_**Granger, **_

_**I am oddly glad to hear that you are safe. Though I hate to admit it, I was quite worried about you when I heard. Don't ask me why, because I certainly have no idea. **_

_**If our attackers were the same, I may have some ideas on how to catch them, but I can't do it myself. Meet me at the public library tonight at 7. Do not tell Potter. Come alone. **_

_**M. **_

The paper I held began to blur. And so did my mind. Was this real? Was Draco Malfoy asking to meet me? Asking ME for help? It was a concept I couldn't even begin to comprehend, especially with the disturbing thoughts of Ronald's disappearance mixing along with it.

My eyes found the clock and I sighed, pulling myself out of bed. I had eight hours till I had to meet Malfoy, but the thought of being surrounded by books made my soul feel lighter. I needed to clear my mind and escape from all of this uncomfortable reality. And the Library would be the perfect place for an all-day hide away.

* * *

The hours crept along so slowly and my impatience was getting the best of me. I spent most of my morning bent over a book that Ted had told me to read, glancing at my watch at the end of every chapter and feeling more and more disappointed when it still wasn't 7. Blaise watched me closely, a look of confusion clouding his face, but knew better than to push for an explanation. The only time I moved from my spot on the couch near the fireplace was when my mother practically forced me to join them for lunch.

"Draco,"

"No."

"You must eat."

"Must I?"

Her voice remained level and her tone calm. "Of course."

My voice was a little more cold. "I think I'm fine, Mother. Now if you'd please just leave me to read-"

"What's bothering you, Draco?" She sat at the edge of the couch, ushering my eyes to look into hers. "Are you still upset from yesterday's attack, Dear?" She put her dainty hand on mine and I finally tore my eyes from the page. Her eyes, like mine, where a fair gray color, and I felt as though I was looking into a mirror. I thanked Salazar that I had gotten her eyes and not my father's icy blue ones.

I gritted my teeth. "No. I'm fine."

She shook her head. "So stubborn," Her eyes fluttered a bit and I noticed she was on the verge of a break down.

I sat forward and put my arm around her. "Really, Mother, don't worry. I'll get to the bottom of all of this." I sighed, my pride slipping a bit. "We'll be okay. I promise."

A/N: Don't forget to Review!


	11. The Library

As soon as the clock read 6:45, I was out the door, with only a slight mention of my whereabouts to my mother before I slammed the door behind me. I made a mental note to act more a bit more considerate towards my aunt, who had left a set of black and green gloves with a matching hat and scarf on my bed that she had spent all day knitting for me. She must have sensed I would be going out tonight.

The outside air was bitterly cold, but I pushed through it, telling myself that answers were ahead. Granger would know what to do, being the brightest witch of our age. I smirked at the thought of her collaborating with me, an act of kindness she would have never pulled as a student, and an idea that would never have crossed any sane persons' mind. Memories of Granger's Gryffindor stubbornness bickering with my notorious Slytherin pride flooded my brain so quickly that I found myself stumble as I crossed the street. The library was now in my line of sight. I felt a soreness in my nose, remembering her punch our third year. And for some weird reason, the slight pain made me smile, though I could not think of a reason why.

I approached the library steps confidently, but as soon as I put my hand out to grab the large metal door handle, I felt my heart begin to race. My hand slipped on the handle and I growled at the amount of perspiration that had suddenly appeared. I wiped it off and swung the door open with so much force that I thought the nearby windows would shatter. Why was I so, completely nervous all of a sudden?

The library was a like a freaking maze, and with every book shelf I passed, my impatience and heart rate increased. I went through almost every section, the back of my neck sweating profusely, much to my annoyance. And then I got to the fiction section.

There she sat, perched quietly in a large, thick chair in the corner of the large offset room. She was curled up, her knees tucked into her chest with a book resting on top, She was looking down and her long curls curtained her face. As I approached, she looked up and I felt my heart break. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her cheeks were pink and stained from what had to have been multiple waves of tears. I watched her eyes creep up slowly from my feet and as soon as they found my own face, she stood abruptly and ran to me. Her arms wrapped themselves around my middle as she buried her face into my chest. I looked down at her, a look of shock painted on my face. I felt her shoulders shake in silent sobs and found my arms slowly embracing her surprisingly small frame. I felt the muscles in her back loosen slightly as she started to relax into me, still sobbing uncontrollably.

I looked around us awkwardly, making sure we weren't making a scene for some unwanted passerby and sighed with relief to see no one around. My hand made small circles in the middle of her back, mimicking something my mother used to do with me when I would get upset as a child.

"Granger-"

She pulled back, wiping her nose with the back of her sleeve and sniffing. "He's gone, Malfoy. Ron is gone."

I looked at her. "What do you mean-"

"He's gone!" She screamed at me."They took him!" Her hands flew to her head and she grabbed her hair in frustration, slumping back into the chair. She began to cry again. "They took him from his home, Malfoy. They'll get Harry next. Or Ginny. Or me." She covered her face and I heard her mumble to herself. "Or you. No one is safe."

I stood there staring at her, watching her cry into her palms. My hands and teeth clenched themselves. I up walked to her slowly, kneeling down in front of her. I reached out and grabbed her shoulder softly. She looked up at me, her bright brown eyes breaking my prideful instinct to ditch her and run for the hills. Never before had I ever felt the need to comfort anyone, especially Hermione Granger, more than right then.

"We'll find them." I whispered. One side of her mouth turned up into a half-very-sad-smile, which pushed me to comfort her more. "We'll find them and we will find Weasley for you. You'll be safe as long as I'm concerned."

Her brow furrowed. "You want to help me?"

I bit back a sarcastic retort and closed my eyes. I wanted her to know I was not just acting genuine. "Yes."

I felt her hands grab each side of my face and my eyes opened again to find her face inches from mine. She looked deep into my eyes, searching for a reason not to believe me, before she pulled me close for another hug. This time my arms immediately responded and embraced her tightly. I knew she needed me almost as much as I need her at this point.

She needed me to find one of her best friends and to feel safe. I needed her to finish my uncle off, bring pride back to the Malfoy name, and to make sure she would always feel safe.

* * *

I don't know what came over me, but hugging Malfoy was the best stress relief I had ever encountered in my whole life. And when he was hugging me back, I felt so safe and secure and better than I had in years.

He was the first to pull away I felt my heart drop a bit, wondering if maybe I was moving our… whatever this was, too fast. I examined him for any sign of his being uncomfortable and almost smiled when I couldn't find one. His expression was sincere as he put both hands on my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes. "Now," He said softly, a small smirk crossing his face, making my almost-smile a full one. "Tell me everything and we can figure out a plan." He led me over to a nearby table and pulled out a chair for me, ushering me to sit, and sat across from me. He folded his hands on the table and looked me in the eyes. I summoned my Gryffindor bravery and began to talk.


	12. The Apology

"Where were you when this all happened?" He said. His left hand was rubbing his temple. I told him everything I knew, describing my attack in full detail from the enhanced coloration of the spell, and down to which window it must have come through. I watched his expression grow wearier with every word, but the determination in his eyes seemed to increase just as gradually. When I seemed to run out of words to say, he would egg me on, asking me question after question to connect the dots.

I sighed. I couldn't figure out what it was exactly, but I knew I could trust Malfoy with all of this information. Despite our past, Malfoy was here to help us, to help me, and I knew if he could help us at all he needed to know everything. "Grimmauld Place, where we met yesterday morning." I looked down at my hands, which I twisted into knots that resembled the ones that continued to curl in my stomach. "I have been living there with a bunch of students from our class since I left Ron. It's our safe house."

Malfoy nodded, his forehead creased in concentration. I noticed how his light grey eyes seemed to glow brighter the harder he thought. It was quite adorable.

He looked at me all of a sudden. "Are you okay?"

I blinked. "Yes. Why?"

"You're blushing."

"I am not!" I said defensively, my hands flying up to cover my cheeks. But I knew I had been. I cursed my face for reflecting my emotions so clearly and attempted to bring the subject back to business. "You cannot tell anyone where we're staying, Malfoy."

He chuckled at my seriousness. "I won't, Granger. Where did you tell Potter you were, anyways?" I heard him say Harry's last name with a bit of a bite, but chose to ignore it, knowing some things just don't change.

"At the library, of course." His eyebrows flew up. I smiled again. "It may not come as such a shock if you remember that I practically lived at the library at Hogwarts."

His expression lightened a bit and he nodded, recalling many incidents in which he would charm the books she was studying to fly around in multiple directions, leaving her to chase after them with an angry shade of pink clouding her fair face. I saw a look of pride began to rise onto his features, but it disappeared as quickly as it arrived. He looked at me apologetically then down to his hands. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

I was taken aback. Malfoy was saying sorry. To me. And he looked as if to mean it. "For what?" my head tilted to the side. He looked up at me through is amazingly thick eyelashes, seeing I wanted a full apology.

He signed, leaning back in his chair. His eyes closed for a moment and reopened to look straight into mine. I had to repress a gasp at just how much emotion was embedded deep in the greyness of his eyes. "I'm sorry for being such a terrible, horrible, git before the war." His hands clenched into fists for a quick moment, but just as quickly relaxed. "I was so lost and angry. I had grown up to defend and support the darkest of all magic and I was blinded by stupid snake pride to see that everyone else was going through shit too. That I wasn't the only one feeling completely lost and alone." His shoulders slumped over and he ran a hand through is white blonde hair, causing it to stand slightly on end. I reached over, grabbed his other hand with my own and smiled slightly, wordlessly telling him he could continue without my judgement. He stared at my arm before slowly turning his hand around to clasp mine, staring deep into me. "I am so sorry that I treated you like complete shit. You never deserved any of it and I will do anything to make you see that I am not that person anymore. I don't hate muggles or muggleborns or squibs." His hand squeezed mine, and my heart jumped slightly.

"Please forgive me."

It was all I could do not to jump across the table and hug him. His recalling his past had brought so much pain and regret to his face and I let the tears that had formed fall down my cheeks. I wanted to take all of his shame away and replace it with anything that could make him smile again, that same smile that I had seen in the snow. I grabbed both of his hands, looking straight at him. "The past is the past," My throat was dry, but I pushed the words out. "Let's just get through this and make this the new beginning."

His mouth twitched into a smile and he nodded slowly. With one last hand squeeze, he let go and stood. "Meet me here tomorrow night. Bring Potter, and whoever else you want in on all of this."

I thought for a moment, biting my lip. "How about you just come to Grimmauld?" I looked down at my hands, which now clasped each other. "Then you could talk to everybody. We have more strength in numbers."

Silence followed. After a moment, I looked at him. I sensed his hesitation. Finally, he returned my glance.

"Can I bring Andromeda and Ted? And my mother?" he whispered hesitantly.

"That's a brilliant idea!" I smiled widely. "Bring Teddy too! His presence will help keep Harry's spirits up. Godric knows he won't be all too pleased to know I've been concerning myself with you."

"The feeling is quite mutual," Malfoy chuckled lightly. "Potter is not a wizard I would ever choose to acquaint myself with, but if it means stopping the attacks and keeping you safe," he sighed. "I guess I'll just have to deal with him, won't I?"

Keep me safe? I looked at him, questioning his intentions and blushing madly. I had convinced myself that Malfoy was in this for partially selfish reasons, but his mentioning my safety had come as a complete shock. I nodded awkwardly, feeling strange at not knowing what to say.

We stood there, shuffling our feet and avoiding glances. Finally our eyes met. I sighed lightly. "I should get back before Harry comes to check if I'm still alive."

He nodded. "Me too." He took a step backwards toward the door, still holding my glance. "Tomorrow. Seven. Grimmauld?"

I smiled at Malfoy's sudden shyness. "Sounds lovely," I said. He grinned as he turned and walked out the two large doors and I gathered my things, throwing my hat, mittens, scarf, and sweater on. I got outside, noticing the darkness that surrounded and apparated to the front door of Grimmauld. I brushed the snow off my boots and began to worry about this upcoming conversation with the DA.


	13. Ron

**A/N: This chapter is in Ron's point of view, and I just want you guys to know that I love Romione. I put in the whole Ron-is-a-dumb-jerk to enhance the drama of his abduction. I LOVE RON. So much. **

**Anyways, enjoy and don't forget to review! Anything is helpful and fully appreciated **

I couldn't see anything. The air was cold, blanketing my bruised face in moisture that sent shivers up and down my spine. With all the strength I had, I attempted a deep sigh, only to gasp at the pain that flashed through my entire being.

They would be back at any moment. They would come regularly, using Crucio against me and beating my body till I fell in terror and agony to the dirty concrete. I was being held at the old Malfoy manor by Death Eaters who were too cowardly to take off their masks and reveal their faces. They had taken my wand, beaten me senseless, asking me about my knowledge of Hermione's whereabouts. Anything they asked went unanswered, and my punishment meant there was no place on my being that was not bruised or swollen.

So there I waited, in the same freaking dungeon they had kept me and Harry in while torturing Hermione. The terrifying memories made my chest heavy with guilt and worry.

They had attacked her, and I wouldn't be surprised that when they weren't torturing me, they were out searching for her. Though my curiosity to know their need for Hermione was almost literally killing me, I couldn't budge. I would never help them find her. Ever.

The guilt began to take over my mind and I let the tears flow. I had betrayed one of my best friends for selfish reasons, and I wanted so badly to tell her that it had never been my intention to hurt her. I cared more for Hermione than she would ever know and so help me Godric, if I survived this bloody hell, I would make her see that. I had to. It was the only way to save what was left of our friendship. I calmed myself with the memory of our last moment together. She had hugged me, thanked me for supporting after her attack, a move I would have done no matter the standing of our relationship. I would always be there for Hermione, whether we were friends or more or less.

And there I continued to wait for them to return with the pain, waiting for the silver lining to show itself.


	14. Two Fires

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

I was pacing Ginny's room rapidly, my stomach twisting in knots. I was the brightest witch of my age, yet I had absolutely no clue as to how to break the news to Harry that Malfoy was not only on our side now, but was coming over tomorrow night. The only person I knew of that would know how to talk to Harry was Ginny. She would know what to do… I just had to summon enough of my Gryffindor courage to tell her.

My pacing paused as I came to a spot in front of her. She sat with her legs crossed on her bed, watching me with a look of pure impatience. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head and she wore black leggings, and what looked to be Harry's very large Holyhead Harpies tee he had she had gotten for him when she made the team. Ginny looked so naturally beautiful and I felt a twinge of jealousy towards the only girl I could truly call my best friends.

I shook myself back into reality. I had been distracting myself.

"I may know someone who can help us defeat whoever attacked me."

Her expression grew from slight worry to great excitement. She stood and grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me slightly. "Hermione! That's amazing news! Have you told Harry?" I muttered a quiet no and she frowned. "Why not? He's your best mate, 'Mione. You never come to me before Harry unless…" Her eyebrows sunk deeper into her eyes and I sighed.

"I need your help. This isn't someone Harry is too… fond of, and I don't want him to be upset with me for letting this person gain my trust." I rushed, hoping she had gotten the hint as to who I was referencing.

She stared at me, the cogs in her mind working hard to find the answer, when it suddenly hit her. Her eyes lit up, burning through me with a fiery anger "Are you bloody off your rocker, 'Mione!?" She released my shoulders and fell into her mattress and sighing in frustration. "You KNOW Harry will never work with that Malfoy git! He's the worst person ever to exist, right behind Voldemort and Umbridge!" She was practically yelling and I quickly casted Muffliato, hoping no one had overheard.

"That's why I'm here, Ginny," I knelt down in front her and grabbed her hand. "I need you to help me tell him. He loves you and listens to you more than he will ever listen to anyone else. If you are with me on this, it will be easier to convince him that we need Malfoy's help."

She folder her arms over her chest and glared down at me. "Why do we need his help, exactly?"

I internally rolled my eyes. She was just as stubborn as her brother. "He was the one who was attacked from Andromeda's home, and thinks he might know who it was and how to find him. He wants to take these guys down just as much as we do, if not more." I moved over, making her look me in the eyes. "We need his help, Ginny. If we don't get it, we will all just continue to feel uneasy and we'll never find Ronald."

Her dark expression faltered and she looked down at her hands. Her eyes became shiny with tears and I pulled her close. "I wasn't to find him too, Gin," I whispered, my hands making small circles on her back as she began to shudder in silent sobs. "This is the only way. I trust Malfoy. He's completely different since the war and has actually accepted me as his friend." I pulled back to look at her in time to hear her chuckle at the thought of Malfoy and I as friends. A smile pulled at my lips and I wiped her tears away. "I know it is beyond strange, but you know I am pretty well off at judging someone's character. I wouldn't trust just anyone."

She looked up at me, nodding slightly and sighing shakily. "Alright, 'Mione. I'm in."

I couldn't help the grin that reached across my lips. "Thank you, Ginny. With all of my heart, I thank you."

"You better," She smiled and wiped her eyes. "You owe me. Big time."

My grin widened. "You got it."

* * *

I pushed through the door and ran to the already burning fireplace. Ted had made it his top priority to keep the small house warm with an always-lit fire in the living room, and I had suddenly made mine to be to defrost my unfortunately frozen body. The door slammed behind me and I made toward the heat. Blaise and Ted sat around the nearby coffee table playing a game of muggle chess.

"Checkmate." Ted mumbled. Blaise cursed and glanced up at me as I took a seat on the couch behind him.

"You alright, Mate?"

A cozy blanket caught my eye and I pulled it over me for instant warmth. "Couldn't be better, Zambini." I shivered.

"You look worn out."

I shot him a dirty look. He was beginning to annoy me. And to think, I had been in such a grand mood after meeting with GRANGER and my best mate was the one to spark my annoyance. "Obviously, you prat. I just walked through the Arctic to get home."

Ted stood and threw another log on the fire. "Where'd you go, Draco?"

"Library."

Blaise's eyebrows flew to the top of his forehead in a comical expression and I had to stop myself from chuckling. He looked at me, confusion almost oozing from him. "You? Reading?"

Ted chuckled. "No books good enough to bring home with you, huh?"

I smirked at the two of them. "There was one, but it was in the restricted section."

Blaise's confusion deepened. "When has restriction ever stopped you, Malfoy?"

"Since I've been locked in a basement for over a year in hiding, Zambini." Fury seeped into my blood as I remembered my past life and my past way of being. He noticed my anger and dropped the subject, leaving the room in a huff. Ted smiled at me, continuing his fire building as if the conversation had not just happened. I shifted in my seat to face him, pulling the blanket down to only cover my still cold legs. "Hey, Ted?"

"Yes, Draco?" He said without looking up.

I sat up and rested my head in my hands. "I need your help."

Finally, he glanced up with a slight grin. He stood tall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Is THE Draco Malfoy asking for the help of a muggle?"

I frowned. "Don't push it."

Ted's chuckled rounded the room, pushing my frown to disappear. "How can I help you, Draco?" He sat down on the coffee table in front of me. His closeness was a bit uncomfortable and it made me fidget awkwardly before continuing.

"I've engaged myself in a friendship that I would have never imagined partaking in originally, and I unfortunately am becoming very fond of the person," I looked up at him to assess his expression, which was unsurprisingly calm.

He looked me in the eye. "Who is this book, and why is she in the restricted section?"

My jaw began to drop, but I forced it to stay in my control. "How do you suppose that this book is female?"

"Because you don't usually 'become fond of' or want to 'check out' another man," He air quoted, laughing again.

I internally slapped myself for my word choice and sighed loudly. "It's Potter's friend, Granger."

"Oh, she's a delightful girl," Andromeda said unexpectedly, waltzing into the room with a wide smile spread across her eternally happy face. She plopped down on the couch beside me, making sure to leave room between us. She was beginning to know me well enough to know I needed space. "I am glad she is okay after being attacked the other day, aren't you!" My body froze when I noticed her knowing smile staring me down.

"I am," I stuttered, feeling completely uncomfortable in their gaze. The Tonk's looked at each other and nodded in silent conversation. I looked back and forth between them, trying unsuccessfully to read their expressions. What was going on? Andromeda laughed wickedly, making me jump at the sudden loudness that filled the room.

"Oh, Draco darling, you have feelings for the girl!" She screeched happily.

I folded my arms across my chest and put on a face that I used only for business. "And what, Aunt Andromeda, has brought you to such an absurd conclusion."

"Your immediate defense sure isn't a factor," Ted said sarcastically, laughing harder and putting his hands up in surrender when I scowled at him.

Andromeda put a hand on my leg and I cringed internally. "Draco, we won't tell!" She beamed.

My angry façade faltered a bit and their expressions of glee were swapped with that of worry. Ted sat forward, leaning closer to me. I slammed my eyes shut. "What's wrong, Draco? Talk to us." I could almost feel their concern for me crawling through my skin, a feeling I had never once encountered before.

The need to tell them about my conversation with Granger crept closer to the front of my mind, but the old, stubborn Draco was pushing it away, telling me not ignore the need and put my stony front back on. I shook my head, shaking the old me out of the way. "I need to talk to you guy's about the attack."

"Anything," Andromeda scooted closer. "We're here to listen." Ted nodded.

I looked up at Ted, looking him straight in the eye. "Granger and I were attacked on last night, by the same men." I inhaled a breath, summoning some courage. "Granger's ex Weasley was taken last night, and I am quite certain that the same men who attacked us took him."

Ted's eyes went dark, but the rest of his features remained calm. "Do you have any idea who these men were?" I nodded. "Who?"

"I'm fairly sure that one was Bellatrix's husband." Andromeda gasped. "He spoke to me and I recognized his voice and his mask, along with his terrible aim." I muttered the last part, making Ted smirk.

"Well," Ted said, running a hand through his thick brown and gray hair. "This is certainly useful information. But how can we help?"

"Granger wants Andromeda, Mum, and me to meet them tomorrow night at Potter's place to discuss a plan to get them and find Weasley," A piece of my heart shattered at the thought of Granger missing the Weasel, but I ignored it.

Andromeda nodded, a look of determination flashing across her features. "We'll do it. Ted can stay here and entertain Blaise, as I'm sure he won't be too fond of being left behind." Her smile was kind and warm, and I couldn't help but return it with a soft smirk. "What time tomorrow night?"

"Seven," I said proudly, finally feeling an inch of confidence for the whole situation.


	15. Confronting Potter

**A/N: Hey Guys! Sorry it's been so long, but with school starting and work, I've been unfortunately too busy to write! BUT DON'T FRET! More chapters should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. **

**I want to take this moment to thank sapphire-lights for correcting me with Blaise's last name, Zabini NOT Zambini. Dur. So thank you! **

**I shall also now point out again that I do not in fact own anything Harry Potter. Although I wish I did. Because then I wouldn't have to work with how rich I would be. Therefore I could right more.  
**

**If only. **

**Read on! Review! **

"Harry?"

My voice was just loud enough to make him look up from whatever he had been working on. His eyes had underlying dark circles and he looked like he hadn't slept at all since he had heard that Ron was gone. He was leaning over a large desk in what used to be Sirius' room and was now his office, and he was surrounded entirely by paperwork and maps. "Hey, 'Mione," His voice cracked in exhaustion. "How was the library?"

"Delightful," I whispered. My fingers were tangled in knots. I was still standing in the doorway to the small room, leaning against the door frame so I'd be safe if my legs gave out. I felt a hand push against the small of my back slightly and stumbled in, mentally thanking Ginny. Harry's eyebrows furrowed and I took a deep breath. My heart was beating a million miles per second, but I had to rip off the band aid. "I think I know a way we could find Ron."

The pen that he had been holding fell to the floor with a crash that was louder than it should have been. The green in his eyes darkened a bit as he stood slowly. "What? How?"

"I met with someone might know who took him. We're pretty sure it may have been the same person who attacked me the other night."

Harry stepped forward and grabbed my upper arms, searching my now tear-filled eyes. "Who did you meet with Hermione?" His face took on a determined front, one I'd seen since I met him and one that had disappeared the day he killed Voldemort. "I'll meet with them and we'll get Ron back and we'll make sure everyone feels safe-"

"Harry, stop," I cut him off. He was mistaking my tears, thinking they were for Ron, not realizing that their reasoning was entirely selfish. "You won't like it."

He stood straighter. "If you trust this person, I will try my best to trust them too."

"Harry-"

"Do you trust me?"

I blinked. He was not reacting like I imagined he would. "O-o-of course…"

He folded his arms across his chest, but his voice was soft. "Then tell me."

I took a deep breath, and shut my eyes. I didn't want to see the disappointment on his face when he heard. "Malfoy was the other person who got attacked. I met with him today and he believes he knows our attacker and where to find him." I heard Ginny's near silent footsteps enter the room and sighed again, opening my eyes and drilling my strength of mind into his. "He's coming over tonight with his mother, Andromeda, and Teddy. I trust him."

* * *

I held each arm out for my mother and aunt. The two women stepped forward simultaneously and latched on, my mother's grip lose and loving, while my aunt's hold was on the verge of aggressive. She blew my uncle an annoyingly noisy kiss, which he returned while passing over a sqealing Teddy, and I swallowed back an immediate gag. My mother chuckled silently to herself, twisting slightly. I felt the uncomfortable tug behind my belly button, cringing at the terrible feeling that was Apparating.

I wasn't worried to meet with two of the Golden Trio and their motley crew of do-gooders. Nor was I afraid in the least. There was, however, an inch of dread in me. Granger had taken me in to her little trust circle so easily, and I wasn't looking forward to witnessing Potter's Gang of Sunshine's reactions to my befriending Granger. Surely, they wouldn't be fond of the idea, and I felt myself frown at the thought of how they might have taken the news from her.

Andromeda stepped forward and I focused back on reality. My mother elbowed me softly and I automatically stood straighter and wiped the scowl off of my face, making a small smile crawl across her face that seemed to say, "I trained you well". We stood back and watched my Aunt knock rhythmically on the surprisingly tall door.

"Secretum ordinem phoenix!" She practically giggled. I rolled my eyes.

The door creaked open slowly and we stood face to face with Hero Boy himself. His eyes immediately met mine and I forced back a growl. I knew I had to pull back from our childhood wars to win the present one.

Potter threw an arm out slowly and I shook his hand, not dropping eye contact until a blur of curls pushed herself out from behind him. I glanced over at her and winked, holding back a smile as the two squirmed and a deep flush swam itself into her cheeks. She pulled the door open wider and ushered us in, a move I was quite grateful for considering how hard the snow was falling. Andromeda waltzed in first, laughing jollily when Harry stole the toddler from her. Mother walked through next. "Thank you, Harry. I appreciate you letting us help."

Potter nodded awkwardly. "It's no problem, Mrs. Malfoy."

She smiled, grabbing his hand to a light hand shake. "Please. Call me Cissy." She moved on to Granger, pulling her into a loose hug and whispering something into her ear. She pulled back, smiling at the bookworm and walked toward where Andromeda had made off to.

"Evening, Granger. Potter." I muttered, keeping the lightest tone I could muster in Saint Potter's presence. Granger smiled at me, her blush becoming a harsh red. Potter muttered a reply and led us to a surprisingly full sitting room. I must have gasped, because Granger giggled slightly and grabbed my arm to drag me to a couch, already occupied with who I recognized as Loony Lovegood.

Potter sat on the ground near the rooms entrance beside the girl Weasley, with Teddy sitting in his lap playing with Potter's tie. The child's hair had changed from my blonde to his black, mimicking the wild way his Godfather's always seemed to sit.

Scarhead suddenly looked up, glancing between Granger and I. "Alright, Malfoy. Tell us everything you know."


	16. Planning

**A/N: Aaaaaaaaand we're back! This whole chapter is in Draco's point of view. **

**Read! Enjoy! Review! **

Potter's brow lowered to cover his calculating eyes. "So the only way we can get into Lestrange's home is with a member of his family present?" I nodded, a prideful smirk tugging at the edge of my mouth. His scowl deepened at that and his eyes slammed closed in frustration. I glanced over at his little girlfriend to see her grimace.

"And I suppose," Hero boy continued, opening his eyes and staring straight into mine as if he were daring me to blink. "That you are the one and only are the one and only thing we have close to sharing a bloodline with the bastard."

Granger elbowed him sharply. "Harry, stop it! He's our only chance of saving Ron." She huffed at him in annoyance. Her arms crossed over her chest like a pouting toddler and she looked back at me. "So we need you. How exactly do we get into the Lestrange Manor?"

"It won't be easy," Mother's hummed, her voice ushering calmness across the room. All eyes were on her, a pressure she was used to after adopting the Malfoy name. She continued, sitting taller in the kitchen chair she had summoned into the room upon arrival. "But Draco and I have been there many a time to visit Bella, and I feel that we may be able to do so with some help from the lot of you. Each of you has a skill that may come of use." Granger noticeably shuttered at my late Aunt's name and grabbed her upper arm as if it was in pain. I swallowed back the unwelcome memory and focused my attention back to my mother.

She looked pointedly at each member of the room, and I watched as she studied each of their faces without a hint of anything but a calm, pleasant expression. "You," Her arm raised to point at Longbottom, who stood behind a girl I recognized to have been a Hufflepuff. His face blushed slightly at the acknowledgement I was sure he didn't receive often, but the courageous front he wore failed to waver. The Hufflepuff reached behind her to take Longbottom's hand in a supportive squeeze, making that the second surprise from the boy I had once antagonized so mercilessly, and I found myself feeling a newfound respect for the Gryffindor that I would never publically pronounce. "You know a thing or two about Herbology, yes?"

Longbottom nodded. "Yes, Ma'am." His voice was gruff, and the Hufflepuff squeezed his hand again.

Mother smiled shortly. "Do you know anything about Noxatra root?"

His eyebrow wrinkled. "Not much, but I can find out more about it."

"No need," I cut in. "It's a root found to grow directly under the gravestones of dark wizards. Seeing as it is a rare occurrence for a dark wizard to be provided with a proper burial, this makes the root extremely rare." I willed a glance at Granger, who frowned in deep thought, as if trying to guess why this was important. "The Noxatra root has a smell that is known to repel the Boomslang, Rodolphus' favorite breed of snake."

"They occupy most of the Manor, and as long as you have ingested Noxatra within the hour, they avoid your being at all costs." Mother ended. Her eyes flicked back to Longbottom. "We'd need enough for all who plan to accompany us and the time in which we wish to visit."

Longbottom moved slowly to sit on the arm of the Hufflepuff's chair while never releasing her hand. "I'll find some."

Weasley girl shook her head. "So is there a spell making it so we cannot enter without blood family members?"

"It's like the wards we have around here and at the Burrow," Granger noted, her face more calm than a moment ago. "Just different expectations for those allowed."

"Is there anything else we should be expecting?" Potter asked. "This all seems too simple."

"You're a smart boy, Harry." Mother said. "There will be many dark creatures surrounding the place, as well as dark wizards. Rodolphus is sure to still be acquaintances with those who believe in the Dark Lord's return."

"Boggarts," I listed. "and a variety of snakes."

"So creature's we know how to fight." Granger said and I nodded.

"So as soon as Neville gets enough Noxatra root, you'll help us get Ron back?" Harry asked, glancing between my mother and I. We both nodded. Potter's arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed. "Why?"

I suppressed a growl. "Because we want to do some good, Potter. We don't want to be affiliated with those arses any longer and want to help."

Potter didn't budge. "Why should I trust you?"

Before I could spit out a retort, Granger stood, her hair springing wildly around her. "Because I trust them."

Everyone in the room was speechless as the two of them engaged in an intense stare down that Granger was definitely winning. Weasley girl giggled slightly, catching all of our attention. She shrugged. "I trust Hermione, so I trust them," She told Potter. "You trust Hermione, right?"

Potter sighed and pointed at me. "You step one toe out of line…"

"And I give you permission to send every one of your Auror's to bring me pain." I said. Granger smiled at this and I couldn't help the small smile that I felt twitch onto my face. "I'm on your side this time. For real."


	17. Late Night Assurance

**A/N: So since the last chapter was all in Draco's POV, here's a chapter in Hermione's! **

"Hermione,"

I opened my eyes and looked across the room at his wild hair and green eyes burning through the moon's shadows. He stood, dressed in a gray tee shirt and sweatpants, in the doorway with his arms wrapped loosely around himself. His pale skin almost shined in the sliver of moonlight that passed over his bare arms and his scar seemed more apparent than it normally did.

Concern filled my being. "Harry? Are you alright?"

He took a slow step forward. "Why do you trust him? After all the things he has done to us?"

I sat up and sighed, running a hand through my unruly curls. I had been waiting for Harry to ask this since the Malfoy's and Andromeda left with Teddy, only an hour before. Harry had looked so upset, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he watched his childhood enemy leave Grimmauld as an ally. I was thoroughly shocked when he didn't pounce on me with questions as soon as the door was shut.

I patted the edge of my bed for him to come sit and he obeyed in sleepy stumbles. The springs squeaked under his weight and he leaned his back onto the wall, turned just enough to face me. His expression was calm, but I could see the stress ooze from every pore.

"I can't fully explain why I trust him, Harry, I just do." I started, looking at my fingers that I had unconsciously been twisting. Harry's forehead wrinkled into a deep set frown, and I continued before he could cut in. "All I know is that he has changed. Don't ask me how I know. I just…" I sighed again, closing my eyes. "I saw him for the first time a couple of days ago on my walk. We ran into each other and he told me he was staying with Andromeda and that he had grown fond with Teddy. He was still the sarcastic, and snappy git he used to be, but something about his manner had changed. He was almost… pleasant?" Harry chuckled and shook his head in disbelief and I couldn't help but smile back. "I saw him again yesterday before work and his pleasantness was even more so that I practically enjoyed his presence." I watched Harry's features soften and I forced back a blush at how strangely I was describing Malfoy, like I was fond of him or something.

"He asked to meet with him at the library after he heard I'd been attacked and we talked. For a long time." I continued. "He had been attacked like I had and seemed adamant in helping us find Ron. He doesn't like who he used to be and he wants to stop these people. Malfoy truly wants to help us, Harry."

I looked across the bed to my best friend, who glanced at me skeptically before crossing his gaze to stare at a picture frame on my bedside table. I looked at it too, watching Harry, Ron, and I laugh silently at something Ron had just said. The picture had been taken at the burrow, the day after Voldemort's demise. Our faces were scarred and bruised, but we had never looked like a happier bunch than we did then. It was my favorite picture.

Harry hummed happily at the memory and put his hand on mine. "You believe he'll help us find him?" he whispered.

I squeezed his hand gently. "So much, it hurts."


	18. Stuck on Her

**A/N: This chapter is all in Draco's POV. Do you guys like it better when I switch off POV mid-chapter or every other chapter? Review to let me know! Thanks to everyone who is following! **

The mattress on my bed was feeling more uncomfortable than it normally did. After 3 hours of tossing and turning, I gave up and moved to the window seat, careful not to wake the soundly sleeping Zabini in the corner. His rhythmic snores were calming and I found my mind start to wander as I stared up into the unnaturally starry sky.

The meeting with the Granger and her motley crew of do-gooders had gone surprisingly smooth despite the very present tension in the room. Potter had tried his hardest and I guessed that Granger had spoken with him beforehand about keeping civility. She had sent me a few dirty looks when I'd speak out, and they were just dark enough to make me swallow back any sarcasm and keep my mouth shut. Something about her… she had such control over me suddenly. And I was pretty sure she knew that, which scared me more than anything.

I pulled my knees into my chest and rubbed my temples. I took some deep breaths and tried to clear my mind, but she just wouldn't leave. My memory began to recall moments of her breathtaking smile; When we first met and she had grinned at my fondness for Teddy; When she had thrown that snowball at me; When she and Potter greeted us at the door earlier and the few I managed to catch during our moments of agreement. Each was just as beautiful as the previous and it sickened me to realize how much I wanted to see her smile again.

A shadow in the sky caught my eye and tore me from my thoughts. The grin that had crossed onto my face began to fade, though it slowly reappeared when the owl came closer. I opened the window and it tumbled into my bed, rolling twice before it caught itself. It was the same owl Granger had used before, and it happily hooted at me. I shushed it, looking back and sighing in relief when Blaise's breathing didn't change rhythm. I untied the letter dangling from the owl's leg, ushering it to the side so I could sit beside it on my bed. On the front of the envelope she had simply scrawled out my last name in her perfect handwriting and my grin widened as I opened it hastily. Her familiar handwriting covered the parchment.

_Malfoy – _

_ I want to thank you for coming to meet with us, and for agreeing to help us find Ron. Though I am unsure of your full motives in doing so, there is no way I can go without appreciating such a kind gesture. _

_ I also want to thank you for keeping your temper around Harry, and I'll have you know I thanked him for doing so as well. Because of that, and my insistence that you have changed (A fact I have come to believe in, so please correct me if I am wrong.), Harry has come to learn to trust you almost as much as I do. I hope we are not in the wrong for doing so. _

_ That is all. I apologize if Screacher woke you. See you in two days to execute the plan. _

_Hermione Granger_

As I read her words, the sudden need to see her, to smell the hint of peppermint that seemed to follow her, rushed through me hot and fast as a fever. I couldn't wait two more days to see that mind-numbing, perfectly white smile.

Something was wrong with me.

I wiped off the beads of sweat that had formed across my brow and moved to my desk, scrambling for a proper piece of parchment and quill.


	19. Tomorrow

**A/N: Hermione's POV this time. Super short. Enjoy! Please R&R!**

A click at the window woke me suddenly and I jumped out of my bed. I couldn't stop the grin when I opened it and Screacher tumbled through, crashing into my bed and getting lost in the thick down comforter. I rolled my eyes and patted his head softly to receive a happy hoot. The envelope lay beside him, tied lightly to his thin leg and I removed it with an urgency that was surprising even to me.

I walked across the tiny room to the chair that sat in the corner and cuddled close into the purple velvet cushion. The paper tore easily and I found myself smiling wider at his clean and clear handwriting.

_**Granger- **_

_** Though it was quite the exhausting task, I am pleased with the outcomes of the meeting with you and Potter. I am doing this because I want to. You can all trust that I am indeed on your side for all of this. **_

_** I am writing back to ask to meet with you once more. Tomorrow perhaps? Location and time at your choosing. **_

_** I am awaiting your reply. **_

_**DM **_

Something in my stomach fluttered and I began to feel faint. Malfoy asked to meet with me again. _Tomorrow._ I blinked as my eyes adjusted from the white of the paper to stare into the darkness of the room.

Malfoy _wanted _to meet with me, but why? What on earth would he want to discuss with me? I racked my brain for an answer but came to no conclusion, only making my frustration grow. I moved to my desk, scrawling out a quick note.

_Malfoy- _

_ The Library at 5:30. What is this about? _

_HG_

I turned in my chair to face the owl now perched on the headboard of my bed. "Are you up for one more trip, Screach?" I whispered. Screacher practically rolled his eyes , but flew to me with a hoot, hovering nearby patiently as I tied the letter to his leg. As soon as the letter was in place he was off, gliding effortlessly into the silent night.

A sigh escaped me as I watched, wondering what kind of mess I was getting myself into.


	20. To Upset A Blaise

**A/N: Draco's turn. Hope you enjoy it! R&R please! **

"DRACO!"

The speed at which I sat up made my vision blur, pushing a sickly headache to throb annoyingly directly behind my temple. Blaise was standing beside my bed, his arms crossed over the grey and green argyle that decorated the ugly excuse of a jumper.

"The fuck do you want, Zabini?" I mumbled bitterly into my very warm and welcoming comforter. I attempted to pull it over my face to block out the tall dark man who, for a reason I could not find at that moment, I called my friend.

His eyes were dark. "You have a letter. From Hermione Granger."

I hesitated. "What does she want?"

"You can tell me after the little meeting you set up with the Gryffindor," He spat, making me flinch under the blanket. "You've been acting weird, Malfoy. What the fuck is going on? And why do you want to meet with Granger? "

A flush of fury soaked through every pore and I flipped the blanket off. I stood in front of him, forcing back the urge to shove him out the large window to his left. Our faces were separated by mere inches. "It's none of your bloody business, Zabini."

He took the slightest step forward and I could feel his ragged breath and winced at the strong smell of alcohol that came with it. "We share a room now, Draco." He spit at me. "I believe you dragged my sorry arse over here, therefore I have every right to know."

"You and your sorry arse can leave for all I fucking care!" I yelled. My whole body shuddered in anger. "I don't need your dead weight to hold me down anyways!"

"Fine!" Blaise shoved me and I fell against my mattress. His moves were swift and silent and in mere minutes he had emptied his side of the room. All I could do was sit and glare at his ugly argyle covered back. After what seemed to be forever he turned and something in my chest shattered. Something about the way he was holding himself broke me. The way his shoulders slumped under the weight of his bags that he had charmed to be lighter. The way his black eyes threatened to shamefully burst.

The fact that he completely avoided my gaze.

"You know Malfoy," He growled at the floor. "I never thought you'd choose a damned Mudblood over your best mate." He looked over at me, his face lacking all emotion. I saw his head just barely nod and he started toward the door.

"Don't call her that."

The pain in my voice shocked us both and he froze. His arms were out against the doorway, whether to support the frame or his own weight I wasn't sure. I swallowed back the annoyingly nervous lump that had appeared in the back of my throat and said it again. Blaise remained still.

Shakily, I stood and moved to the desk, where Granger's letter sat, my thumb rubbing over the slight indent of her curly scratch. My eyes found the moon outside and took use of all of my effort to stare only at that moon.

"She's more pure than you and I will ever be."

And with that he was gone. The room was empty and I stood there unmoving for what seemed like hours. When I looked down at the envelope, the ink was drowned in a light peppering of water droplets and only later did I realize they were my tears.

**A/N: Yeah, this chapter was sort of just a filler. Hope you liked it anyways! **


	21. Apologies and Butterflies

**A/N: This is Hermione's chapter. Sorry for not updating recently, but the holidays are kicking my butt! Read and review! **

**Oh, and I guess I should probably mention, again, that I own nothing Harry Potter related. I give all credit to the oh-so-wonderful JK Rowling! **

The library smelled dusty of old unopened books, and had been silent and blissful all afternoon with only the occasional shuffle of the librarian's feet as she weaved within the towering shelves. She had greeted me with simply a smile, a spark of recognition at the sight of me lighting something behind her eyes before she returned to the novel she had chosen for herself that day. I wasn't sure of her name, but seeing a different text in her hand every time I came in, which was quite frequent, convinced me we shared a deep love for the art of reading, and that only made me fonder of the old woman.

I woke to the rustle of a nearby page turn and I smiled at its familiarity. Opening my eyes, I was momentarily blinded by the unfortunate bulbs that decorated the library's ceiling above every table. My sleeve was we from deep napping drool and as I sat up from the uncomfortable position of being bent over the book cluttered table, I noticed I was not alone.

"Harry?"

He looked up from Quidditch Secrets by Paisley Heregoat, a sleepy grin stretched across his face. "Morning, 'Mione," He chuckled quietly, setting the thick text beside my large pile of muggle books. He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose.

I frowned slightly, eyeing his book. "Can I help you? And why did you bring a Quidditch book to a Muggle library?" I said, wary that if the clock behind him was right, Malfoy would be there in a mere fifteen minutes.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Ginny said you would be here. Thought you might want some company for once."

The amount of genuine happiness in his smile made my heart sink slowly. I was hiding yet another secret meeting with Malfoy from my best friend. This was going to kill me. I smiled, trying to hide the guilt that was buried deep in the back of my throat. "Thank you Harry, but I would kind of rather be alone right now, if that's alright."

The joy in his face faltered. "I thought… maybe we should talk about what happened between you, Ron and me…"

My breath caught and I swallowed back the tears that pushed against the back of my eyes. "I don't think that's quite necessary with Ron gone and everything being forgiven…"

"But I can't forget it till we do talk about it." He whispered hoarsely. I could tell he was holding his own tears in. "It killed me to not see you guys over something so small,"

"Ron shouldn't have said some of the things he did, and I couldn't just run out on my fiancé-"

"But you could run out on me?"

My eyes shut and past angers began to boil. "I never meant to hurt you, Harry. I thought this was just going to be another one of Ron's little bursts, and that he'd forget about it soon like every other fight." Harry placed a hand on mine as I choked on a sob.

"He was way more upset than any of us expected. He shouldn't have dragged you into it all and been so stupid as to insult Ginny's abilities, but he did." I looked up from my lap and saw his eyes were wet. "Ron was absolutely terrified that I had endangered Ginny by including her on the Auror mission. He didn't want to ever speak to us again."

"He was just upset that his sister could have gotten hurt-"

"That's not what nine months of silence and your absence said." He ran a frustrated hand through his thick black hair. "I just… He didn't trust me enough to keep everyone safe after that. He didn't let me explain myself to either of you."

My heart broke and I let tears drip down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I've always trusted you."

He stood from his seat across the table and moved to the chair beside mine, wrapping me in a bone crushing hug. "I never blamed you," He whispered as I cried into the shoulder of his thick Weasley jumper. "I only blamed myself."

We sat like this, holding each other was we cried away the past, for a good ten minutes. I pulled my face away from his chest to rest my chin on his shoulder. Immediately, my eyes widened at the sight of Malfoy standing across the library in the middle of the Nonfiction shelves. He turned to look at us and caught my eyes, backing slowly into the shadows with a slight nod when I motioned for two more minutes.

With a slight reluctance to release the wondrous comfort of his hug, I pulled back from Harry and wiped the tears away with the back of my sleeve, still damp from wiping my mouth earlier.

"Thank you Harry, but I think I need some time to be alone. Just for a bit." I placed a hand on his shoulder and rose with him from the stiff library chairs. He picked up his book and after a quick peck on my cheek, he walked towards the door. He glanced around him at the doorway, and with a satisfied smirk, apparated away, just as Malfoy emerged from between some nearer shelves.

"Am I interrupting?" His face and voice seemed emotionless.

I shook my head and pulled out the chair Harry had just occupied. "I didn't know he would be here." Malfoy shrugged and sat, looking at everything in the cavernous building but me. Something was off. I moved my chair to face his. "You okay?"

He looked at me finally, his silvers locking into place on my browns. His protective walls crumbled and a look of deep frustration and hurt crossed his handsome features. A sigh groaned out of his pursed lips and he lazily scratched at his freshly shaven face. His hair stood on end, a mussed up version of his usual well-gelled look. "Blaise left this morning."

My brows furrowed. "Blaise Zabini? I didn't know he was also staying with Andromeda."

"He and I were the ones attacked at his old home the other day, so for his safety I brought him back to stay with me."

"That was kind of you," I mumbled, twisting my fingers into knots that

He smiled lightly, staring at his clean and shiny black dress shoes that tapped softly to a bouncy rhythm. "I know I've seemed pretty hateful in my life, but I do have a heart, Granger."

"I know you do."

The silence of the room grew as we stared at one another. A wave of understanding and relaxation hit us suddenly and our bodies sunk deeper into the chairs, content smiles creeping slowly over our faces. I couldn't look away from Malfoy's eyes. There was a sparkle there that I hadn't seen before, a warmth that had been absent in all the years I'd known him.

Though, a lot had changed about Malfoy since the war. He dressed more casually, today in a black sweater and pants that looked suspiciously like Muggle jeans. He was putting forth effort to save a person he'd shared a mutual hatred with, from a family member with beliefs he had once fought for. He no longer looked at me like I was scum of the Earth.

"You're studying me, Granger." He said, his tone dry, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks immediately.

"Sorry," I said. My fingers found a loose string at the end of my jumper and I looked down to watch them fiddle with it.

He chuckled lightly. "You have every right to. It's a… odd situation, and I'm sure our past is trying to have an effect on your views of me. Am I right?"

I smiled and looked up at him. Seeing the grin on his face made my stomach churn happily and I struggled to speak for a moment. What was going on with me?

"You have a point," I laughed. "But I'm not holding it against you."

His famous Malfoy smirk softened. "Same to you, Granger."

"Because I was as terrible to you as a child."

He winked and my stomach fluttered again. "You pretty much tortured me!" My jaw dropped in disbelief and he laughed harder. "You were the only person that ever truly stood up against my incessant bullying, not to mention you physically attacked me in third year." I rolled my eyes, but relaxed when I could hear no seriousness in his words.

The lights above us flickered, distracting us for a moment, and when I looked back at him, his face was serious again, though the twinkle remained in his eyes. His hand was mere inches away from mine on the table, and I itched to reach out and grab it.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Though my mouth twisted into a pout, I nodded. "Yes. I'm ready. Are you?"

He leaned back into his chair, folding his hands behind his head and sighing in relaxation. "I was born ready, Granger." This pose would have made me hateful of his pride and cockiness, but now all I could feel was admiration for his confidence. I was the Gryffindor, but my bravery seemed to be lacking now that I thought about going in to get Ron tomorrow. I knew we had to get him back and safe, and though I knew we had an inside man on our side to help us, I was still feeling that twinge of fear that something bad was going to happen.

"You're scared." It wasn't a question.

I sighed. "A bit."

Malfoy sat up all of a sudden and grabbed both of my hands in his. His fingers were strong and soft and his thumb rubbed slow circles into the back of my hand. "We're going to get Weasley out of there. I will be there the entire time to make sure you're safe, whether you like it or not. But you have to get some of that blasted Gryffindork courage, Granger." We both smiled. He squeezed my hands and I nodded so he knew I was listening. "Everything's going to be okay. Got it?"

"Thank you, Malfoy," I whispered, squeezing back. His grin widened and he stood, releasing my hands gently so they rested in my lap.

"See you tomorrow," He mumbled.

"Nine o'clock?" My heart thudded hopefully as he backed unhurriedly towards the front door.

With one last butterfly inducing wink, he disappeared in apparition, but I swore I heard him echo me as he did.

**A/N: YAY for Dramione! Hope you liked this chapter. Don't forget to review! **


	22. Smiles and Breakfast

**A/N: I sincerely apologize for my lack of updating. But I'm hoping these next few chapters make up for my laziness. **

**It's Draco's turn. Prepare for a chapter full of feels. **

Despite the cold wind that had pushed the windows open in the middle of the night, I'd woken this morning with sweat drenched through the single sheet draped over my chest. I let go of the breath I was holding for a reason I had yet to find. Running shaky fingers through my damp hair, I sat up and surveyed the room.

Yep. Blaise was still gone.

Not that I thought the git would come back thanks to his obvious Slytherin-like characteristics. But at the same time, the sight of his empty and unmade bed was still unsettling.

My feet found the wood floor and I stood, wobbling a bit as a dizzy spell pushed into me. I grabbed for the head board to steady myself, though it was by luck that I managed to grasp it with how much sweat was pooled into my palms.

One glance at the clock brought another wave of stressful fever to rush through my body and my stomach churned, clearly unsettled. It was eight in the morning, meaning I was meeting Granger and her Positivity Pals in an hour. The thought of seeing Righteous boy Potter and Little Red made me want to vomit alone, but I held back the urge, noting their importance in Granger's life.

And why did it matter to me that Granger cared for Lightning boy and his ginger girlfriend? My head split for a moment at the unwelcome headache that sent a pain filled grunt through my clenched teeth. The ache of turning away from the truth was bloody terrible and I didn't think I could hide from it any longer. Not when she was on my damn mind all the time, intervening into my damn dreams like she was my damn conscience or something.

No. It was obvious. Even Andromeda and Ted had guessed it before I could even admit it to myself. I had fallen hard for the Golden Girl herself. Fucking hard.

"Damn you, Granger," I muttered to absolutely no one at all. I bit back another round of cursing her name as the pain seemed to disappear suddenly.

Standing up taller, I inhaled the sweet smell of maple that dribbled in from underneath the door and groaned at the pleasure it brought to my every fiber. I took a deep breath of the sugary sweetness, reminding me of the day's unpleasant event s to come, and crossed the room in four simple strides. The dark Muggle jeans I had received from my Aunt and Uncle with freedom slipped up easily, hugging ever so lightly against my hips and hanging comfortably down my lean legs. A smirk slipped itself onto my face as I remembered how loose they had been when I'd first put them on.

As I slipped my black cardigan over my dark green polo, a whiff of peppermint swept to my nostrils. The familiarity should have been the first hint, but it wasn't until my eyelids began to droop in comfortable longing that my senses switched on to high alert.

Granger…

Ignoring the fact that I was barefoot and my hair was standing up on end, I bolted to the kitchen, holding back a groan at the sight.

Granger turned to the doorway I was now leaning against at the sound of my footsteps. Her smile positively glowed as she waved a shy hello my way, filling the room with a brightness that was blinding. And she looked annoyingly beautiful.

The whole kitchen seemed to glow around Granger's beaming grin, lightening the dark I had woken with at immediate sight. My chest felt light and something in my stomach lurched, but not as if I was about to be sick. It was a feeling I had never felt while looking at anyone, much less Gryffindor's model student. I felt at ease, calmed to the brink of feeling my knees quiver under me.

Granger raised an eyebrow, and I shook my head, bringing myself back from staring at the poor girl. My hands forced themselves to the bottom of my pants pockets and I moved to the one empty seat at the table, noticing all too late that not only was it situated directly across from the one girl who made me feel physically weak with a simple smile, but I was now sandwiched between the two Gryffindor hero boys that were to accompany us on the trip today. I glanced at Longbottom and mirrored his short nod as a greeting, then did the same with Potter.

"Good Morning, Malfoy," Looney Lovegood's perky voice pierced into me. I looked up to see the blonde weirdo sitting between Granger and Andromeda, nodding hesitantly in her direction. "Are you ready for the day?" She said, picking up a piece of bacon and analyzing it before taking a bite.

"Does it look like it?" I muttered. My eyes flicked over to Granger in time to see her smile turn smug. She stabbed into her pancake and found my looking. _Nice hair_, she mouthed.

"Now, now, Draco dear," Andromeda said with a hearty laugh. "These are our guests for the morning, so I expect manners at the table-" But she couldn't finished as Finnegan and Dean, who sat between Granger and Potter, burped simultaneously. She grumbled quietly and left the table to wash her dish as the two high fived.

"Why are you lot here, anyways? I thought we were meeting at 9," I said as nonchalantly as possible, taking a bit of pancake and avoiding Granger's magnetic smile.

"Andromeda invited them to eat breakfast with us before our journey," My mother said as she glided in from the sitting room. She sent her winning smile to each of our guests, who tried to return the favor without much luck. No one could out shine one of my mother's smiles. Granger's was the only exception. The two women shared a look, and even I, as an innocent and uninvolved bystander, could feel the fond and mutual respect the women seemed to feel for the other.

Mother had let it slip last night that she rather liked the girl, a fact that only made this whole having-emotions-thing harder for me.

Granger eyes found mine, catching my stare for the third time in the last ten minutes. A blush bloomed across her cheeks and she looked down, suddenly very interested in her scrambled eggs. My middle flip-flopped again and I had to force a grin away. I couldn't go all Hufflepuffy in front of the Gryffindor Gang.

Conversation remained simple for the remainder of the meal, and was surprisingly pleasant thanks to the many stolen glances I caught from the beauty across the table.


	23. Preparation

**A/N: Hermione time! Kind of another filler chapter, but the excitement is coming! I want to take this time to thank everyone who is following this story and either of my other stories! **

_**THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH. **_

**I guess I could also take note that anything you recognize here? Yeah, I don't own it. **

**Thanks again! Don't forget to REVIEW!**

Even though I'd helped defeat the Darkest Lord of the Wizarding world, and had been able to obliviate my parents, forced to make them live without me, and survived being attacked by all that the Devil himself had to throw at me, it was now that I was trembling in fear.

The group of us stood in the far back corner of the Tonks' backyard, at the apparition point. The two Malfoy's were once again going over the plan of it all, but I wasn't listening. I had it memorized backwards and forwards anyways.

My legs felt like they were about to give out and my forehead and neck were drenched in a cold, fearful sweat. I searched the faces around me for any sense of panic, hoping I wasn't the only one.

Neville stood beside me, his face pulled to a stern scowl as he listened. His grip on Hannah's hand was strong, but I noticed his thumb made slow, comforting circles along her thumb. Her other hand held his elbow and they stood with no space between them. Hannah's normally happy smile was replaced with a confident smirk that grew when she caught my eye.

Arthur and Molly were situated on either side of Fred and George, whose long arms were wrapped possessively around their parents and each other. While Fred's eyes glimmered with trouble, George's face was lacking such, and instead was hard and focused on the matter at hand. I felt for George, having almost lost his twin in the war. After 2 weeks in a comatose state after a wall had fallen over him, Fred had woken at St. Mungo's to distraught George who was slowly dying himself. He had remained at his brother's bed side the entire time, barely eating or speaking. He'd just sit there, holding his Fred's hand and mumbling pleas for him to wake up already, damn it. George had been intensely worried about his family ever since and made sure to keep tabs on each sibling daily. With Ron gone, he was becoming a wreck again.

Besides them stood Harry and Ginny, both as unwavering as they were in the days of the war and deeply concentrated on the words the Malfoy's spoke. I knew Harry was determined to get Ron back, and that Ginny was missing her brother more than she ever had. Just seeing their strength made my weakness falter.

Luna stood a step behind Ginny glancing dreamily around the circle. When she saw me looking, a smile crossed her lips. Her gaze turned from dreamy to strong and she nodded, as if to tell me to be brave like her. I smiled back, glad to have someone like Luna as a friend. No matter how weird she could be, she never seemed scared. It was hard not to admire her strength.

Seamus and Dean stood solid and tall beside me with their arms crossed over their large chests. Seamus, like Harry and Ginny, was concentrating hard on the speech, but I noticed Dean was glancing around the group as Luna and I were. He looked down at me and raised an eyebrow as if to _say you okay?_ When my returning nod was more hesitant than confident, he lightly elbowed my shoulder and mouthed, _we got this._

I took a deep breath and watched the two blondes in the middle. Narcissa spoke with fluidity and grace, with soft hand motions and intense eyes that captivated everyone's attention. Her pale skin shone like porcelain against the streaks of rising sunlight that broke between the branches of a nearby tree.

As she Narcissa seemed to take over explanation, I felt the intensity of Draco's eyes on me and turned to face him. Most of his features were emotionless, but the grey in his eyes were clouded with concern as he took in my fearful quake. Mistaking them for shivers from the low temperatures, he slowly removed his outer jacket he'd put on before moving outdoors and approached me. "Are you ready, Granger?" He whispered, adjusting the jacket across my shoulders.

Shrugging, I pulled the jacket tighter around me. It seemed to radiate comfortable warmth and smelled wonderfully of his musky smell he wore daily. I sighed under its light weight and found my spirits lift a bit. "Thank you." I mumbled with a small smile. Draco's eyes softened and the friendliest smirk I'd ever seen on a Malfoy stretched across his sharp face.

"Mister Longbottom, if you would please," I heard Narcissa say over Draco's shoulder. Neville walked around the group, handing each person a piece of what I recognized from books as the Noxatra root we were required to have for the trip. He'd told us earlier about finding the root in a Cemetery in Southern Ireland under the headstone of a wizard named Avrille McMonroe, a name I had recognized from a history book I'd read third year. She had been known in the late 1700s, to kill anyone, magic or muggle, that didn't call her Queen of Ireland, and her death count had been quite a large one. I was impressed that Neville had found it.

As he approached me with the ugly grey and yellow root, his gaze hardened and flitted back and forth between Malfoy and me, an eyebrow raised questioningly. I avoided his look, looking at the ground as if I'd never seen grass before in my life till he moved back to his spot beside Hannah.

"Everyone grab a hand."

At the sound of his mother's melodic request, Draco turned back to the center of the small circle we had formed and stepped in between Dean and me, intertwining his strong fingers with mine. My heartbeat became rapid and the worry that my hand was too sweaty flitted through my brain, but I shook it away in an attempt to focus on the matter at hand.

Save Ron. Save Ron From Lestrange. Beat Lestrange. Beat Malfoy's uncle. Beat Malfoy's uncle with Malfoy. With Malfoy's hand in mine.

This was going to be the longest day of my life.


	24. An Insider

**A/N: Another Ron chapter. I love this chapter. It's short, but there is SO MUCH EXCITEMENT. Enjoy!**

Four days.

Four days ago, I was taken from my home. Four days ago, Hermione had come to my office to yell at me, and then forgave me. Four days ago, I saw people I didn't think I'd ever see again and been forgiven. Four days ago, I managed not to screw anything else up. Four days ago, I was, for the most part content with my life.

Four days ago, Hermione was attacked in her own home.

Four days ago, so was I.

I was still wearing the same clothes I'd had one when they had taken me, though there wasn't a part about them that looked recognizable. My old Gryffindor Quidditch T-shirt that I'd slipped on as soon as I got home from work was now tattered and bloody, it's gold color now shiny and brown with blood. The head of the lion insignia on the back was burnt off to reveal a deep and infected gash behind it. My jeans were even worse. An old pair I'd bought with Hermione in Muggle London right after the war, one leg was ripped off at just above the knee while the other was completely shredded, the skin on my leg beneath it to match.

They continued to Crucio me, asking over and over about Hermione. Where was her room? What was her weakness? Who could they take next to lure her to them? How could they get into Grimmauld easiest?

Channeling the strength she'd had when that Lestrange Bitch had attacked her, I fought against the pain and refused to say anything except for the occasional and colorful curse word.

Footsteps stomped down the steps to my left. With one eye swollen shut and the other close behind, I focused with as much energy as I could on the doorway to see who my attacker would be this time. They always wore old Death Eater masks, with long cloaks and thick leather gloves to keep their identities safe. I'd come to recognize some of them and would mentally prepare myself for what their predictable moves would be.

The door opened, but the light from above drowned out any visible features of the man who stood there. I could see he was tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful stance. He wore no cloak. He wore no gloves.

He stepped closer, where the faintest candle that burnt above me lit his face. He wore no mask.

"Hello, Blood Traitor."

His voice was a low rumble that I instantly recognized. Moving my good eye up to see his face, I let my face fall emotionless as I studied him. His eyes were fiercely dark, and he glared down at me as if he was trying to bore holes into my head with only a look. He was cleanly shaved and dressed almost royally in dark blacks, emeralds, and greys. His black hair stood on end around his head, the occasional white strand straggling through. He was the image of madness. Just like his wife.

"Lestrange." My voice was hoarse as I spit out the less-than-happy greeting.

His eyebrows sunk lower and a growl escaped from his lips. "I hope you feel as terrible as you look, Weasley,"

"You too, Fucker."

_Whack!_

The side of my face burned from his heavy slap and tears dripped from my swollen eye, but my face remained straight. I was becoming immune to simple pain from slaps, punches, and kicks. "You're gonna have to do better than that." I said.

An malicious smile played onto his mouth. "Tsk, tsk, Weasley," He said menacingly as he circled the chair I was tied to. "I'd be good if I were you. That is, if you ever want to see your girlfriend alive that is."

My muscles tensed. "What are you getting at?"

His quiet laugh sent chills up and down my broken body. "We know for a fact that your little Mudblood has sought out the help of my foolish nephew and sister-in-law to help save your pathetic existence."

I hesitated. "Hermione would never ask Malfoy for help-"

"Oh really!?" Lestrange practically bounced back into my field of vision, his face so close that I had to hold back the vomit that threatened from smelling his putrid breath. "We have an insider who tells us otherwise."

Just as I was about to ask who this insider was, Lestrange stepped to the side to reveal another figure outlined in the doorway, this one petite and female. She sauntered over with steady stride, and with each heavily echoed step, the more her identity was illuminated, and the more my heart sunk. She stopped close, the tips of her heels only an inch or so from the ends of my sneakers.

"Long time no see, Ron Weasley," Cho Chang purred, her pale face smiling wickedly as she ran a soft hand down the side of my face.

**A/N: MUAHAHAHA I love this! Post a review and let me know how you feel about the twist! **


	25. Widow Weed

**A/N: Hello! I apologize for the very delayed update, but I want these next couple chapters to incorporate as much detail as possible while still being interesting to read. I hope you like it! Please review! **

Whatever I'd landed smelled like absolute shit. I sat up with a groan, my head shifting around to take in the scene. We had indeed landed just outside of my late aunt's garden. It had always looked overgrown and disgusting, like whatever attempted to enter would die an excruciatingly terrifying death, but I'd never seen the weeds as tall as they were now. They had grown to tower over the rest of the yard, and umbrella-d the rest of the plants in long sad strands that hung like the branches of a weeping willow.

"Draco…" Granger was sitting up, staring cautiously at the weeds. She turned and found my eyes, and I could see the slight trace of fear behind her Gryffindor courage that she'd plastered over top. "Is that the…?"

"The widow weed," Longbottom whispered, pulling the Hufflepuff into his side and aiming his want to the garden, though his eyes bore into mine with a determination that paled my own. "The Boomslang's favorite plant to live on."

"Does it usually grow to be that large?" Little Red gulped, tightening her grip on Potter's arm.

I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could pull off, but had to swallow back the lump of dread in the back of my throat. "Only when they belong to my crazy bitch of an aunt and her basterd husband."

I felt a hand grab my elbow and looked down at the dainty fingers. My eyes followed up the arm to Granger's face. I followed my first instinct and grabbed her fingers in mine, pulling them to my lips and kissing them slightly. A small smile appeared, lighting up the world for only a moment, before disappearing again into a straight line. "Let's do this."

Mother walked to the front of the group. Her features looked dark, reminding me of the days of the Dark Lord's stay in our home. It had been a time of despair, and my mother had coped by training herself to be emotionless and dark, mirroring the rest of the house. She glanced over at Granger and I and nodded. "Noxatra root. Now." Everyone shoved the weed into their mouths. The second it touched my tongue I wanted to wretch, but I swallowed the sour grass down with as much force as I could muster. Granger's hand slipped down to mine and she squeezed it for a second. Her face was puckered as if she'd just eaten a whole lemon and I held back a snort of laughter at the sight.

With that, we moved to the house, wands at the ready. With surprising stealth and silence, we made it to the garden's rusted black gate with no problem. I pulled it open with ease and with Granger in tow, stepped in.

It was pitch black, though none of us dared to cast a light for fear of being caught. The plan was to get as far in as we could without a fight. I could see the faint glow of candlelight through the dirty window I knew belonged to the living quarters of the home. The faint outline of my uncle could be seen, and beside him stood who I assumed was one of his death eater cronies. We approached it slowly and when I felt we were close enough, I pulled Granger to stand close to me behind the trunk of an abnormally large Widow weed.

"Do you recognize the man with Rodolphus?" She whispered, her palms pressed against my chest as my hands wrapped themselves around her back.

I shook my head. "He's not even slightly familiar. Do you know, Mother?"

My mother leaned back from behind the bush across the way from Granger and I to peer into the window. She frowned for a moment in concentration, the deflated to sit on the ground in a huff. "I don't know him."

Potter poked out from behind a nearby shrub. "Are there many Death Eaters you wouldn't recognize, Malfoy?"

"A fair few, but not many that would be acquainted with my uncle." I said, watching a larger green snake slither down the path, clearly avoiding the group.

One of the twins popped out from behind Potter. "Could he be recruiting more?"

The other followed suit. "Because if that's the case,"

"We're in way over our heads." They finished together.

I looked down at Granger and her eyebrows lowered to match my own frustration. "I don't think anyone is stupid enough to join a group as wanted as the Death Eaters," She started.

I shook my head. "You'd be surprised. There are plenty of idiots willing to throw their necks under the ax for the group." Everyone visibly shivered at the thought.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement and turned in time to watch the two men stand from their seats and move to a door I recognized to lead to the basement. I waved to the group to follow me and grabbed Granger's hand again, pulling her behind me to the door.

The door opened easily and upon entering, the only sounds I could hear were those of the groups footsteps as they shuffled to the indoors. The Weasley parents moved to the front with my mother. Father Weasley looked down at me with a look that could have been interpreted to be friendly. "Lead the way, Mister Malfoy."

I approached the door and opened it, cringing at the slight creak. We walked down the stair, weary that this could be it. The basement was small, and it was around this next corner that we'd see what my Uncle was doing down there.

As soon as I hit the second to last step, I took one last deep breath with a careful glance at Granger. She smiled back at me as if to say "Here we go".

The chaos that followed was deafening. The room was crowded with hooded men and women. Most I recognized, usually too late as I was cursing them to a paralyzed state.

Everyone I was working with had turned to full battle mode. A chorus of spells and curses lit the room in a firework – like explosion of colors that blinded most that weren't as deeply concentrated. I heard a yelp and turned my head in time to see Hufflepuff be picked up by Longbottom and Thomas, while Finnigan threw many bright spells at the Death Eater they fought. I knew by the fighting technique that they were against Crabbe Sr., one of my father's old friends as well as my old school acquaintance's father. He tumbled to the ground and stared un blinking at the ceiling in the body bind curse.

Granger and I took down five death eaters on our own, but I'd had yet to find my uncle until a silver flash in the corner caught my eye. He stood there, a slow grin spreading across his features when our eyes locked. I ran to him, painfully ignoring Grangers yells for me to stop and wait for her. Everything in me told me to keep going, to kill this man who had ruined my life, attempted to kill both Granger and I, as well as kidnapping her best friend.

"I believe we have some unfinished business, Rodolphus!" I yelled over the noise. The volume decreased immensely after. I'd caught the attention of everyone in the room and most had mistakenly stopped to watch. I smirked as the remaining death eaters fell to the ground in paralysis.

Rodolphus smiled back, bearing his wretched yellow teeth my way. "Indeed."

"Where's Weasley?" I growled.

"Why should I tell you anything, Blood Traitor?"

"Because you'll regret it if you don't."

With surprising speed he stepped close so that my wand poked deep into his neck. "Kill me, Draco." His voice rasped. "kill me like you so desperately want to, but I am the only one who knows the ginger's location…"

"Draco don't."

The words were layered with malice and I turned to see mother's eyes glaring icily into my uncles. He cringed under her stare. "Narcissa, don't you look lovely-"

"Cut the shit, Rodolphus," She spat. She shoved her wand into his temple. "Tell us where the Weasley boy is or I will cause you so much pain…"

Rodulphus whimpered as her wand prodded deeper into his head. "Okay! He's at the mansion! She's got him in the dungeon!" His eyes darkened as they moved to look Granger up and down. I moved to stand in front of her and he grinned. "Better get there quick though, Mudblood. He's DYING to see you."

**A/N: REEEEEVIIIIIEEEEEW!**


End file.
